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From the Adjutant General
It is my pleasure to present the Arkansas National Guard’s annual report for fiscal year        MISSION
2008.
                                                                                                The Military Department of Ar-
It has been a tremendous year in our history, with 3,200 Soldiers leading the way for our       kansas is a broad, community-
nation as the first National Guard brigade combat team to mobilize for a second tour in         based, organization with both
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
                                                                                                federal and state government
                                                                                                responsibilities. Federal mis-
                                                                                                sions include operations in
With nearly one-third of our total force deployed overseas, we continued to meet the            support of the Army and Air
needs of the state here at home. In fact, it was a historic year in that respect, as we an-     Force for peacekeeping and
swered the call for 81 state active duty missions in support of civil authorities - more than   wartime missions. State mis-
we have ever faced in a single year of our history.                                             sions primarily include disaster
                                                                                                relief and community support.
The year’s success didn’t come without its challenges, but our Soldiers and Airmen              The department, comprised
stepped up and answered those challenges with an extremely high level of professional-          of both Army and Air National
ism. Our troops could not do it alone however. This success was made possible by the            Guard elements, has service
support of the Families, friends, employers and entire communities who continue to stand        and economic impact in 57
behind these great men and women. That support is greatly appreciated. Through that             Arkansas counties. The agen-
continued support, our ability to answer the calls of our state and nation remains strong.
                                                                                                cy’s mission, vision and values
                                                                                                serve to focus operations on
                                                                                                critical customer requirements
Through that same support, the pride in wearing this uniform remains high. This is a fact       to provide trained, ready pro-
made evident by the strength in our recruiting and retention numbers. At the end of fiscal      fessionals and units respon-
2008, our force stood 10,492 strong – well over 100% of our total authorized strength.          sive to the needs of the nation,
On behalf of these 10,492 Soldiers and Airmen, I would like to offer our gratitude to the       state and community.
entire state of Arkansas for the overwhelming support you have shown our organization.
Success would not be possible without it.                                                       Vision
With this we close the book on another successful chapter of our history, and we pledge         Arkansas National Guard mili-
our continued support as we stand ready to face the challenges of 2009 and beyond.              tary and civilian professionals,
                                                                                                working as a team, building
                                                                                                the finest reserve military or-
                                                                                                ganization serving the nation,
                                                                                                state and community.
                                                              William D. Wofford
                                                              Major General                     Values
                                                              The Adjutant General
                                                                                                Integrity means honesty, can-
  Leadership                         4       Financials                                  22     dor, ethics, morals and ac-
                                                                                                countability.      Commitment
  Units                              6       Military Construction                       23     means loyalty, caring, trust and
  Joint Force                        8       Economic Impact                             24     teamwork.       Professionalism
                                                                                                means selfless service, em-
  Army Units                         10      Legislative Accomplishments                 26     powerment, stewardship and
  Air Units                          12      People                                      27     excellence in all we do. War-
  Federal Missions                   14      Training                                    28     rior Spirit means placing the
                                                                                                mission first, never accepting
  State Active Duty                  16      Programs                                    30     defeat, never quitting and nev-
  Top Stories                        18      Directorates                                32     er leaving a fallen comrade.

Page 2                                                                                                       Arkansas National Guard
History
Arkansas National                  The Arkansas National Guard traces its roots back to 1804 and a small ter-
Guard Museum                       ritorial militia. The governing body of the Indiana territory was charged with
                                   developing laws for the newly created District of Louisiana, of which Arkan-
The museum is located in his-      sas was a part. On Oct. 1 of that year, a law was enacted requiring that “all
toric Lloyd England Hall on        male inhabitants in the district shall be liable to perform militia duties...” By
Camp Joseph T. Robinson,           the time Arkansas became the 25th state in 1836 the militia was strong and
and acquires information and       well organized.
artifacts relating to the Arkan-
sas National Guard, and its        During the reconstruction era the militia was reorganized into the Arkansas
militia predecessor.               State Guard, and then in 1909 it was transformed into the Arkansas National
                                   Guard, gaining federal recognition and support. The Air Guard was estab-
                                   lished in 1925 with the formation of the 154th Observation Squadron at Little
The museum has over 6,400
                                   Rock’s Adams Field.
square feet devoted to over
1,100 artifacts, including two
                                   The Arkansas Guard has seen action in both World Wars, Korea, Desert
large models of the post, a
                                   Storm, and Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. During World War II
conserved Civil War battle flag
                                   members of the Arkansas National Guard crossed the beaches of Normandy,
and a 75mm artillery piece with    stormed Mount Cassino, helped destroy the Ploesti oil fields, defended Dutch
caisson and limber.                Harbor, Alaska, participated in the Rhineland campaigns and helped liberate
                                   Rome.
Of particular interest is the
Yeater Collection of over 189      Since its humble beginnings as a militia, the Arkansas National Guard has
weapons, including rifles, mus-    fought in the Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War and
kets, machine guns, pistols,       the infamous Brooks-Baxter War of 1874. The Arkansas Air National Guard
shotguns, sub-machine guns,        entered the jet age with the introduction of the F-84 during the Korean War.
bayonets, sabers and knives.       Since then, Arkansas Airmen have flown many types of aircraft, including the
                                   KC-135 tanker, the RF-101 photo reconnaissance jet, the F-100 Super Saber,
The museum is often the first      the F-4C Phantom and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Today the 189th Airlift
exposure visitors have to the      Wing flies the storied C-130 Hercules transport., and the 188th Fighter Wing
Arkansas National Guard, and       in Fort Smith wields the A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the “Warthog.”
hosts over a thousand visitors
from all over the world each       The Arkansas National Guard played an important role in Operations Desert
year.                              Shield/Desert Storm, when 13 Army units were called into federal service
                                   and members from 10 Air units were called up. Over 3,400 Arkansans were
                                   tapped for the operations.

                                   Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 11,000 of Arkansas’s Citizen Soldiers and
                                   Airmen have been mobilized to more than 50 locations around the globe. This
                                   call to service is not without sacrifice. Twenty-three have died while serving
                                   overseas, and over 3,200 were deployed away from their Families and em-
                                   ployers at the end of Fiscal Year 2008 as part of the Army National Guard’s
                                   39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Annual Report                                                                                                  Page 3
Leadership

Joint Force Headquarters
 The Joint Staff
 Command Group: The Adjutant General, Deputy Adjutant General, Chief of the Joint
 Staff, Joint Forces Land Component Commander, Joint Forces Air
 Component Commander, Chief of Staff Air National Guard, Di-
 rector of the Air Staff. Personal Staff: Command Sergeant Major,
 Command Chief Warrant Officer, Inspector General, Command
 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air National Guard. Special Staff:
 Chaplain, Director of State Resources, Judge Advocate General,
 Safety, Special Projects Officer, Human Resources, Director of
 Military Support, Public Affairs, Intelligence Operations Spe-                                             MG William D. Wofford
 cialist, Recruiting and Retention. Coordinating Staff: Deputy                                              The Adjutant General
 Chiefs of Staff for Logistics, Personnel, Information Management,       Brig. Gen.
 Operations, Aviation, and Engineering, and the Strategic Planning William J. Johnson
                                                                   Deputy Adjutant General
 Officer.                                                                                              Maj. Gen. William Wofford is
                                                                                                       the adjutant general of Arkan-
                                                                                                       sas, and is a member of the
                                                                                                       Governor’s cabinet as head of
                                                                                                       the Arkansas Military Depart-
                                                                                                       ment. His cadre of Air and
                                                                                                       Army leaders, and professional
                                                                                                       staff, guide over 10,000 trained
                                                                                                       and disciplined forces who re-
        Brig. Gen.                Brig. Gen.                  Col. (P)               Brig. Gen.        main ready to respond when
    Richard E. Swan             Riley P. Porter          Roger L. McClellan        Travis D. Balch
  Chief of the Joint Staff   Commander, Joint Forces   Commander, Joint Forces      Chief of Staff
                                                                                                       needed. JFHQ, located at his-
                                Air Component             Land Component            Arkansas Air       toric Camp Joseph T. Robin-
                                                                                   National Guard
                                                                                                       son in North Little Rock, is at
                                                                                                       the center of a complex and
                                                                                                       expansive organization that is
                                                                                                       unique in its ability to fulfill both
                                                                                                       state and federal missions.
                                                                                                       The Arkansas National Guard
                                                                                                       operates with over 1,700 full
                                                                                                       time federal employees and
                                                                                                       over 500 full time state em-
   Command Sgt. Maj.          Chief Warrant Officer              Col.             Command Chief        ployees. Over 8,800 Soldiers
   Deborah J. Collins            Wayne Cates             William E. Stanton           Master Sgt.
    State Command               Command Chief             Director of the        Normal P. Gilchrest
                                                                                                       and Airmen serve as part time
    Sergeant Major              Warrant Officer                Air Staff          Command Chief        Guard members with full time
     Arkansas Army              Arkansas Army               Arkansas Air          Master Sergeant
     National Guard             National Guard            National Guard         of the Arkansas Air
                                                                                                       civilian jobs.
                                                                                   National Guard

 Page 4                                                                                                               Arkansas National Guard
Leadership

u10,492                                                                              Major Commands
Soldiers and Airmen make      Arkansas National Guard major commands include: the 39th Infantry Brigade
up the Arkansas National      Combat Team; the 142nd Fires Brigade; the 77th Theater Aviation Brigade;
Guard.                        the 87th Troop Command; the 189th Airlift Wing; the 188th Fighter Wing; the
                              National Guard Marksmanship Training Center; the 233rd Regiment Regional

u1,736
                              Training Institute; Robinson Maneuver Training Center; Chaffee Maneuver
                              Training Center; the Army Aviation Support Facility; and the State Medical
                              Command.
Full time employees
583 State employees
588 Federal Technicians
565 Active Guard & Reserve



u8,234
Army National Guard mem-
bers.                          Col. Kendal W. Penn
                                Commander, 39th Infantry
                                                              Col. Keith A. Klemmer
                                                                  Commander, 142nd
                                                                                           Col. Karen D. Gattis
                                                                                           Commander, 77th Theater
                                                                                                                        Col. Mark Lumpkin
                                                                                                                           Commander, 87th
                                 Brigade Combat Team                Fires Brigade             Aviation Brigade             Troop Command




u1,970
Air National Guard mem-
bers.



u11,500                       Col. James R. Summers
                                   Commander, 189th
                                                             Col. Thomas I. Anderson
                                                                  Commander, 188th
                                                                                           Col. Walter L. Jones
                                                                                            Commander, Robinson
                                                                                                                      Lt. Col. Robert E. Embry
                                                                                                                         Commander, Chaffee
Soldiers and Airmen mobi-             Airlift Wing                  Fighter Wing           Maneuver Training Center     Maneuver Training Center

lized in support of federal
missions since Sept.11,
2001.



u3,200
Approximate number of
members deployed as of
                               Col. Steven E. Miles          Col. Stephen A. Womack        Col. Robert A. Mason       Lt. Col. Mark McMullen
Oct. 1, 2008.                  Commander, National Guard      Commander, 233rd Regiment          State Surgeon         Commander, Army Aviation
                              Marksmanship Training Center      Regional Training Center    State Medical Command          Support Facility


Annual Report                                                                                                                             Page 5
Units
Separate Units                                       77th Theater Aviation Brigade
Joint Force Headquarters*                            Headquarters, Headquarters Co.*
61st Civil Support Team (WMD)*                       777th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB)*
Army Aviation Support Facility*                      Co. F, 1st Bn., 211th Aviation (Air Traffic Services)*
Detachment 30, Operations Support Airlift Command*   Det. 1, Co. B, 449th Aviation Support Bn. (AVIM)*
Medical Command*                                     Det. 1, Co. C, 1st Bn., 111th Air Ambulance*
Recruiting and Retention Command*                    Det. 3, Co. D, 1st Bn., 111th Aviation Bn.*
Camp Robinson Maneuver Training Center*              Det. 3, Co. E, 1st Bn., 111th Aviation Bn.*
Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center                HHC 1st Bn., 114th Aviation*
233rd Regiment Regional Training Institute*          Co. A, (-) 1st Bn., 114th Aviation (Security and Sup-
National Guard Marksmanship Training Center*         port)*
                                                     Det 3, HHC, 1st Bn., 185th Aviation*
                                                     Co. B, 1st Bn., 185th Aviation*
142nd Fires Brigade                                  Co. C, 1st Bn., 185th Aviation*
                                                     Det. 1, Co. D, 1st Bn., 185th Aviation*
Headquarters, Headquarters Btry., Fayetteville       Det. 1, Co. E, 1st Bn., 185th Aviation*
142nd Network Support Signal Co., Springdale
Btry. F, Target Acquisition Btry., Fayetteville      87th Troop Command
                                                     87th Troop Command Headquarters*
217th Brigade Support Battalion
Headquarters, Headquarters Co., Booneville           25th Rear Tactical Operation Center*
Co. A (-), Lincoln
                                                     871st Troop Command Headquarters*
Det. 1, Co. A, Berryville
                                                     119th Mobile Public Affairs Det., North Little Rock
Co. B, Rogers                                        106th Army Band*
                                                     296th Ambulance Co., Hot Springs
1st Battalion, MLRS - M270A1                         213th (-) Med. Co. (Area Support), North Little Rock
Headquarters, Headquarters Btry., Harrison           Det. 1, 213th Med. Co., Dumas
Btry. A, Bentonville                                 216th Military Police Co. (-), West Memphis
Btry B, Springdale                                   Det. 1, 216th Military Police Co., North Little Rock
Btry. C, Rogers                                      1123rd Transportation Co. (-), North Little Rock
1142nd (-) Forward Spt. Co., Bentonville             Det. 1, 1123rd Transportation Co., Blytheville
Det. 1, 1142nd Forward Spt. Co., Harrison            224th Maintenance Co. (-), Mountain Home
                                                     Det. 1, 224th Maintenance Co., Marshall
2nd Battalion, M109A6 Paladin Howitzer
Headquarters, Headquarters Btry., Fort Smith         875th Engineer Battalion
                                                     Headquarters, Headquarters Co., Jonesboro
Btry. A, Van Buren
                                                     1036th Engineer Co., Jonesboro
Btry. B, Siloam Springs
                                                     1037th Engineer Co., Paragould
Btry. C, Ozark
                                                     1038th Horizontal Construction Co.*
937th (-) Forward Spt. Co., Fort Chaffee
                                                     1039th Engineer Co. (-), Marked Tree
Det. 1, 937th Forward Spt. Co., Charleston
                                                     Det. 1, 1039th Engineer Co., Harrisburg
Page 6                                                                                        Arkansas National Guard
39th Infantry Brigade                                 Det. 1, HHT*
                                                            Troop A (-), El Dorado
      Combat Team                                           Det. 1, Troop A, Crossett
                                                            Troop B, Magnolia
      Headquarters, Little Rock                             Troop C (-), Camden
                                                            Det. 1, Troop C, Fordyce
      Special Troops Battalion                              Attached: Co. D, 39th BSB, Monticello
      Headquarters, Headquarters, Co., Conway
      Co. A, Clarksville (Engineers)
      Co. B, Little Rock (Military Intelligence)
                                                            189th Airlift Wing**
                                                            189th Operations Group**
      Co. C, Pine Bluff (Signal)                            189th Operations Support Flt.
      Brigade Support Battalion                             154th Training Sqd.
      Headquarters, Headquarters Co., Hazen
      Co. A (-), Stuttgart           (Transportation        189th Maintenance Group**
      Det. 1, Co. A, West Helena     Fuel &                 189th Maintenance Sqd.
      Det. 2, Co. A, Pine Bluff      Water)                 189th Aircraft Maintenance Sqd.
      Co. B, Heber Springs (Maintenance & Transportation)   189th Maintenance Operations Flt.
      Co. C, Lonoke (Medical)                               189th Maintenance Spt. Flt.
      Det. 1, Co. F, Beebe (Forward Support)
                                                            189th Mission Support Group**
      1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery                  189th Mission Spt. Flt.
      Headquarters, Headquarters Btry. (-), Russellville    189th Communications Flt.
      Btry. A (-), Morrilton                                189th Security Forces Sqd.
      Det. 1, HHB*                                          189th Services Flt.
      Det. 1, Btry. A, Perryville                           189th Civil Engineer Sqd.
      Btry. B (-), Dardanelle                               189th Aerial Port Flt.
      Det. 1, Btry. B, Paris                                189th Logistics Readiness Sqd.
      Attached: Co. G, BSB, Russellville
                                                            189th Medical Group**
      1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry
      Headquarters, Headquarters Co. (-), Malvern           Air Guard Separate Units
      Det. 1, HHC*                                          123rd Intelligence Squadron **
      Det. 1, Malvern                                       154th Weather Flight **
      Co. A (-), Prescott
      Det. 1, Co. A, Arkadelphia
      Co. B (-), Texarkana                                  188th Fighter Wing***
      Det. 1, Co. B, Hope                                   188th Mission Support Group***
      Co. C (-), Mena                                       188th Mission Spt. Flt.
      Det. 1, Co. C, DeQueen                                188th Civil Engineer Sqd.
      Co. D, Sheridan                                       188th Security Forces Sqd.
      Attached: Co. E, BSB, Benton                          188th Communications Flt.
                                                            188th Services Flt.
      2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry                         188th Logistics Readiness Sqd.
      Headquarters, Headquarters Co. (-), Searcy
      Det. 1, HHC, Wynne                                    188th Operations Group***
      Det. 2, HHC*                                          184th Fighter Sqd.
      Co. A, Walnut Ridge                                   188th Operations Spt. Flt.
      Det. 1, Co. A, Rector
      Co. B (-), Batesville                                 188th Maintenance Group***
      Det. 1, Co. B, Augusta                                188th Maintenance Operations Flt.
      Co. C (-), Forrest City                               188th Maintenance Sqd.
      Det. 1, Co. C, Brinkley                               188th Aircraft Maintenance Sqd.
      Co. D, Newport                                        188th Medical Group***
      Attached: Co. F, BSB, Cabot
                                                            *Camp Joseph T. Robinson
      1st Squadron, 151st Cavalry                           **Little Rock Air Force Base
      Headquarters, Headquarters Troop (-), Warren          ***Fort Smith Air National Guard Station
Annual Report                                                                                          Page 7
Joint Force

61st CST (WMD)                                                                       u99%
                                                                                     Certainty in identifying haz-
                            The 61st Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass
                                                                                     ardous substances by the
                            Destruction) is comprised of 20 full-time Army
                                                                                     61st CST (WMD).
                            and Air National Guard members, who are on call
                            24 hours a day, seven days a week for response
                            to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and
                            explosive incidents anywhere in the state. Among
                            the many specialized tools employed by the CST
                                                                                     u1,000
                                                                                     Hours per year the 61st CST
                            is a mobile laboratory where their technicians can
                                                                                     (WMD) spends training to
                            quickly analyze samples of unknown substances to
                                                                                     maintain proficiency.
                            help first responders know what they are up against.
                            The unit trains year round, and was called out for
                            a real world mission June 19 in Fayetteville, Ark.,
 when approximately 30 people experienced symptoms from exposure to an un-
 known contaminant. A joint training exercise with the Red River Army Depot’s
                                                                                     u24/7
 Directorate of Emergency Services served as the first test of the unit’s new “di-   The 61st CST (WMD) is on
 vided response plan.” The plan calls for a smaller “strike team” of technicians,    call for response to chemi-
 survey team members, medical personnel and leadership to be airlifted ahead of      cal, biological, radiological,
 the main body during an emergency situation.                                        nuclear and explosive inci-
                                                                                     dents .

AASF                                                                                 u187,000
 The Army Aviation Support Facility pro-
 vides centralized control, proper utiliza-                                          Square foot Army Aviation
 tion and maintenance support of Arkansas                                            Support Facility on Camp
 Army National Guard aviation assets.                                                Joseph T. Robinson.
 Detachment 30,Operations Support Airlift
 Command, and the Security and Surveil-
 lance Counter Drug Aviation Operation fall
 under the AASF. The 187,000 square foot
                                                                                     u16
                                                                                     UH-60 Blackhawk helicop-
 facility, completed in 2007, anchors the                                            ters welcomed back from
 Camp Robinson Army Air Field, and is the focal point for Arkansas Army Na-          the overseas deployment
 tional Guard aviation operations. During Fiscal Year 2008, the facility support-    reset program.
 ed aviation operations that included fighting wildfires in California, hurricane

                                                                                     u$33 mil
 relief efforts in Louisiana and Texas, and the rescue of a downed hang glider
 pilot on the dangerous slopes of Petit Jean Mountain near Morillton. The AASF
 also welcomed back 16 UH-60 Blackhawks from the overseas deployment reset
 program. The aircraft were returned in like-new condition, providing Arkansas       AASF facility opened in Fis-
 Army national Guard pilots upgraded avionics and improved reliability.              cal Year 2007.

 Page 8                                                                                           Arkansas National Guard
Joint Force

u1,474                                                                                           R&R
Total new recruits brought
                              Recruiting and Retention Command, headed by Lt. Col. Gregory C. Bacon,
into the Arkansas National
                              is responsible for obtaining and retaining qualified individuals for the Army
Guard, including 202 new
                              National Guard to meet the demands of local, state and national taskings.
Air Guard members.
                              As of September 30, 2008, the Arkansas Army National Guard stood at ap-
                              proximately 8,500. Over 590 new recruits entered the Arkansas National

u590
                              Guard through the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program, which paid out
                              over $1.1 million to Soldiers and Airmen who participated in the program.
                              In Fiscal Year 2008, the Recruiting and Retention force consisted of 240
New troops entered the                                                     personnel, including full-time
Arkansas National Guard                                                    military recruiters, contracted ci-
through the Guard Recruit-                                                 vilians and long term active duty
ing Assistance Program.                                                    for operational support. Also
                                                                           in Fiscal Year 2008, Recruiting

u$1.1 mil                                                                  and Retention’s Army National
                                                                           Guard Fishing Team unveiled
                                                                           a powerful tool to hook new
Paid out to Soldiers and
Airmen participating in the                                                recruits: a new fully-decked out
Guard Recruiting Assistance                                                tournament fishing boat.
Program


u8,500                                                                              MEDCOM
Periodic Health Assess-       Col. Robert A. Mason is the Arkansas National Guard state surgeon and
ments performed by MED-       head of the State Medical Command. MEDCOM, located on Camp Jo-
COM each year.                seph T. Robinson, is responsible for the health and well-being of the state’s
                              National Guard Soldiers. In Fiscal Year 2008, the Medical Command and

u23,000 +                     State Surgeon’s Office moved from the Troop Medical Clinic and building
                              6401 on Camp Robinson to building 15301, known previously as the old
                              2nd Battalion headquarters of the 77th Aviation Brigade.. The move was
Inoculations of Arkansas
National Guard Soldiers       made, partly, to accommodate the new annual Periodic Health Assessment,
by MEDCOM in Fiscal Year      which replaced the five year Periodic
2008.                         Physical Exam. The PHA provides the
                              most current, yearly medical screening

u9,000 +                      possible for Soldiers, and places an in-
                              creased emphasis on individual medical
                              readiness requirements. A major addi-
Medical exams or reviews of
                              tion to the PHA process is preventative
Guard troops in Fiscal Year
                              health care counseling for identified
2008.                         risk factors.
Annual Report                                                                                           Page 9
Army Units

39th IBCT                                                                               u1,566
                                   The 39th Infantry Brigade Combat team is the         39th Infantry Brigade Com-
                               largest major subordinate command in the Arkansas        bat Team Soldiers on their
                               National Guard, comprised of approximately one-          second deployment since
                               third of the state’s Army force. After having served     2003.
                               an 18-month mobilization in support of Opera-
                               tion Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2005, the 39th was
                               called up for another tour to Iraq in 2008 - the first
                                                                                        u46
 National Guard brigade combat team called for a second rotation. The brigade           39th IBCT units in 42 Armor-
 spent the entirety of fiscal 2008 in an active duty status and deployed forward in     ies across the state.


                                                                                        u318
 March with a mission primarily focused on security and force protection across
 various areas throughout central and southeast Iraq. The brigade’s headquarters
 element took over the responsibility of base defense for the Victory Base Com-
 plex in Baghdad, while the majority of its remaining personnel were located in         39th IBCT troops re-enlisted
 Tallil, Taji and Al Asad. Of the over 3,000 Soldiers who deployed with the 39th        during the recent OIF de-
 IBCT, approximately half are combat veterans from the brigade’s first tour to          ployment.
 Iraq. Soldiers and units from each of the Arkansas National Guard’s major sub-
 ordinate commands were tapped to fill the ranks of the 39th for this deployment.
                                                                                        u12
142nd Fires Brigade                                                                     Rockets can be fired by the
                                                                                        MLRS in less than 60 sec-
                                                                                        onds, completely blanketing
                            The 142nd Fires Brigade has 19 units in 15 different
                                                                                        one square kilometer from
                            communities throughout northwest Arkansas. The
                                                                                        over 26 miles away.
                            second largest unit of the Arkansas Army National
                            Guard wields the M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket
                            System, and the M109A6 Paladin Howitzer, but is
                            most recently known for having several units de-
                                                                                        u32
                                                                                        Tons of the latest advances
                            ployed to Iraq where they served various security
                                                                                        in 155mm self-propelled
                            missions. The 2nd Battalion’s Alpha and Bravo
                                                                                        artillery, the Paladin can fire
                            batteries returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom in
                                                                                        up to four rounds per min-
                            October 2007, and Charlie battery returned to the
                                                                                        ute at a range of up to 30
                            United States in February 2008. The 142nd’s 217th
                                                                                        kilometers.
                            Brigade Support Battalion was mobilized in 2008
                            to augment the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
 for their second Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment. Many members of the
 142nd mobilized state side in support of relief efforts due to the many tornados
                                                                                        u143
                                                                                        142nd Fires Brigade Sol-
 and floods that hit Arkansas early in 2008, including a 30-person team who
                                                                                        diers mobilized in direct
 made a difference in the devastated community of Atkins, which lost three citi-
                                                                                        support of Hurricane
 zens when hit by a powerful tornado in March.
                                                                                        Gustav operations.
 Page 10                                                                                             Arkansas National Guard
Army Units

u3,500 +                                                                              77th TAB
                                                    Located at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, the 77th Theater Avia-
77th Theater Aviation Bri-                          tion Brigade is comprised of approximately 600 Soldiers
gade flight hours in Fiscal                         supporting the state’s Army Aviation mission. The brigade’s
Year 2008.                                          first battalion, 114th Aviation (Security and Support) is

u500
                                                    responsible for reconnaissance, command and control, and
                                                    air movement operations in support of homeland security
                                                    and homeland defense with its force of UH-60 Blackhawk
77th TAB Soldiers honored in                        and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters. The battalion’s proficiency
Freedom Salute ceremonies                           was most recently tested with the unit’s movement of 40 of
in Fiscal Year 2008.                                its personnel to Louisiana to provide command and control
                               of all aviation assets there in support of relief and recovery operations during

u214                           the 2008 hurricane season. The brigade’s 777th Aviation Support Battalion
                               provides logistical support for the brigade to include aviation maintenance, air
77th TAB personnel retuned     traffic control and medical evacuation. Throughout Fiscal Year 2008, the 77th
home from deployment in        responded to multiple state and national missions to include response to Ar-
support of Operation Iraqi     kansas tornados, Gulf Coast hurricanes, California wildfires, and other calls for
Freedom.                       support on the homeland such as search and rescue and counterdrug operations
                               support. In total the brigade flew over 3,500 hours during the year.

u19                                            87th Troop Command
87th Troop Command units
in 11 communities in north     The 87th Troop Command is the most diverse in
east and central Arkansas.     military specialty in the Arkansas National Guard.
                               The brigade is comprised of approximately 1,400
                               Soldiers serving in specialized units such as military

u105
                               police, medical and ambulance companies, engineers,
                               maintenance, transportation, rear operations, pub-
                               lic affairs and the Army band. The brigade is made
Members of the 87th Troop      up of 20 units from 13 different communities in the
Command returned from          Central, Northeast and Delta regions of Arkansas. In
deployment in Fiscal Year      April 2008, the state welcomed home approximately
2008.                          30 members of the battalion headquarters element of
                               the brigade’s 871st Troop Command. The unit spent

u450                           10 months serving as a ‘Mayor’s Cell’ for the US Army post housed in Tallil,
                               Iraq. In July, the 871st welcomed home its 213th Area Support Medical Com-
                               pany after its 70 Soldiers spent the past 10 months serving in Tallil as well,
87th TC Soldiers mobilized
for Operation Iraqi Freedom    having treated over 20,000 patients during the deployment. Upon activation,
as part of the 39th IBCT.      the 39th IBCT saw its force augmented by approximately 450 Soldiers from
                               various units in the 87th Troop Command.

Annual Report                                                                                             Page 11
Air Units
188th Fighter Wing                                                                  u1,013
                      The 188th Fighter Wing of the Arkansas Air National           Personnel is the new autho-
                      Guard is co-located with the municipal airport at Fort        rized strength of the 188th
                      Smith, Ark., and flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog,”     Fighter Wing
                      having completed a conversion from the F-16. In Fis-
                      cal Year 2008 the newly formed 188th Fighter Wing/Fort
                      Chaffee Community Council, and the 188th Fighter Wing
                      hosted the 2008 biannual Fort Smith Regional Air Show.
                                                                                    u3,636
                                                                                    Flying hours over 2,451 train-
                      Over 200,000 spectators were thrilled by the U.S. Air         ing flights for 188th pilots in
                      Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, and were        Fiscal Year 2008.
                      given an up close view of the wing’s Airmen, aircraft and
                      facilities. The event brought in an estimated $5.25 million

                                                                                    u$11.5 mil
 of economic activity into the local economy. Once the F-16 to A-10 conversion
 was complete, the wing began the process of converting from the A-10A to the
 A-10C, resulting in over 100 personnel in the Maintenance Group receiving
 upgrade training. The 188th continues to support Operations Iraqi and Enduring     In construction projects
 Freedom, and has over 30 members of the 188th Security Forces Squadron cur-        managed by 188th Civil En-
 rently deployed to Kyrgyzstan.                                                     gineering.




189th Airlift Wing                                                                  u5,100
                                                                                    Hours the 189th Airlift Wing
                                                                                    flew safely during Fiscal
 The 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard is located on the        Year 2008.
 Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. The wing’s mission focuses on

                                                                                    u377
 providing C-130 air crew training, and airlifting cargo and personnel in support
 of state and national objectives. In Fiscal Year 2008, the 189th flew over 5,100
 hours and trained 377 students on aircraft that average 46 years of flying ser-
 vice. Over 140 students were trained in the Enlisted Air crew Academic School.     Students trained on 189th
 The 189th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed 125 engineers to four locations,        Airlift Wing aircraft in Fiscal
 accomplishing 2,805 hours of renovation at Wake Island, 213,000 pounds of in-      Year 2008.
 stalled steel for a quarter mile of border-fence construction for Operation Jump

                                                                                    u213,000
 Start, and 4,000 feet of rebar and 126 yards of concrete were poured at Savan-
 nah Air National Guard Base, Ga. The 189th Airlift Wing received a passing
 grade from the Air Education and Training Command’s operational readiness
 inspectors. About 15 members of the 189th Security Forces were called to state     Pounds of steel installed
 active duty Feb. 8, 2008 to augment Clinton, Ark., law enforcement officials       by 189th Airlift Wing Civil
 after a tornado ripped through the town on Feb. 5. The 189th helped repatriate     Engineers along the board-
 35 Louisianans evacuated to Little Rock before Hurricane Gustav struck the         er during Operation Jump
 Gulf Coast.                                                                        Start.

 Page 12                                                                                         Arkansas National Guard
Air Units

u56,000                                          123rd Intel Squadron
Accumulated days the            The 123rd Intelligence Squadron provides near real-time intelligence, surveil-
123rd has been mobilized        lance and reconnaissance support to coalition forces conducting missions as
since Sept. 11, 2001.           part of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

                                This 85 member organization receives, analyzes, processes and disseminates

u700                            intelligence data from manned and unmanned intelligence collection plat-
                                forms. Their enhanced digital image processing provides the warfighter on
Combat intelligence, surveil-   the ground the imagery intelligence to maintain positive situational awareness
lance and reconnaissance        on the battlefield, as well as definitive targeting data necessary to minimize
sorties the 123rd has provid-   collateral damage.
ed imagery analysis for.
                                Along with their roll in supporting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, during

u50                             2008 the 123rd also supported emergency operations involving flood, forest
                                fire and hurricane relief missions with real-time video imagery using the RC-
                                26B aircraft. This imagery support was critical in fighting wildfires in Califor-
Homeland security, law
enforcement and natural di-     nia and in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike which struck the Texas coast.
saster missions supported
by the 123rd in Fiscal Year
2008.
                                                  154th Weather Flight
u22                             The 154th Weather Flight is a geographi-
                                cally separate unit of the Arkansas Air
Army support weather units
                                National Guard. Its mission is to provide
in the Air National Guard,
                                the 77th Theater Aviation Brigade, 39th
including the 154th Weather
                                Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the
Flight.
                                256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with

u3                              24-hour tactical meteorological and clima-
                                tological services.
Army National Guard bri-
                                Operationally, the 154th, with its limited strength of only 14 personnel, sup-
gades supported by the
                                ported several activities in 2008. One member deployed to the 15th Air
154th Weather Flight.
                                Support Operations Squadron at Fort Steward, Ga, to backfill for a member
                                forward deployed to Iraq. In August, a four person team forward deployed
u100%                           for 17 days with members of the 77th’s 1st of the 114th Aviation Battalion to
                                Baton Rouge, La., for Hurricane Gustav support.
Of the Weather Flight’s
personnel have deployed in      In addition to observations and forecasts, the unit provides real-time asset
support of OIF or OEF.          protection via weather watches, warnings and advisories to airfield managers
                                in order to protect personnel and aircraft when severe weather approaches.
Annual Report                                                                                             Page 13
Federal Missions
Operation Iraqi Freedom                                                              u3,300
                                                 The Arkansas National Guard         Approximate number of Sol-
                                                 continues to support Operation      diers and Airmen deployed
                                                 Iraqi Freedom with trained          in support of federal mis-
                                                 and professional Soldiers and       sions.

                                                                                     u400
                                                 Airmen. Over 3,400 members
                                                 of the Arkansas Army Na-
                                                 tional Guard were deployed
                                                 throughout Iraq as part of the      Days in a current federal mo-
                                                 39th Infantry Brigade Combat        bilization.
                                                 Team, which mobilized in
                                                 late 2007 and returned home
                                                 throughout December 2008.
 Many units throughout the Army Guard were tapped to augment the 39th’s
                                                                                     u193
                                                                                     Days spent on active duty in
 deployment, including the 217th Brigade Support Battalion of the 142nd Fires        Iraq by members of the 39th
 Brigade, and the 87th Troop Command’s 216th Military Police Company, 1123rd         IBCT during FY 2008.
 Transportation Company, 224th Maintenance Company and the 1038th Horizon-
 tal Construction Company of the 875th Engineer Battalion.

 On the Air Guard side, the 123rd Intelligence Squadron is providing imagery in-
 telligence support to the troops on the ground in Southwest Asia with out leaving
                                                                                     u34
 Arkansas.                                                                           Members of the Air National
                                                                                     Guard’s 123rd Intelligence
 Many units of the Arkansas Army National Guard returned home in Fiscal Year         Squadron mobilized in sup-
 2008. A and B Batteries, 2nd of the 142nd Fires Brigade returned from Opera-        port of OIF.
 tion Iraqi Freedom in October 2007. The Army Airspace Command and Control
 element of the 77th Theater Aviation Brigade returned in December 2007. C
 Battery, 2nd of the 142nd
 came home in February
                                                                                     u350
                                                                                     Full time members of the Ar-
 2008, and Headquarters,                                                             kansas National Guard were
 Headquarters Battery of                                                             federally mobilized under
 the 142nd arrived home                                                              U.S. code Title 10.
 in April 2008. The Head-
 quarters element of the
 871st Troop Command
 hit American soil in June                                                           u3,821
 2008, and the 871st’s                                                               Soldiers federally mobilized
 213th Area Support                                                                  under U.S. code Title 10 in
 Medical Company was                                                                 Fiscal Year 2008.
 welcomed home in July.
 Page 14                                                                                        Arkansas National Guard
Federal Missions

u32                             Operation Enduring Freedom
Members of the 188th Fight-
er Wing’s Security Forces
deployed to Kyrgyzstan.



u500
Flight hours flown by Detach-
ment 30, OSA in support of
OEF-Horn of Africa.
                                The Arkansas National Guard continues to support the global war on terror
                                through flexibility of mission and availability of troops. In December 2008

u1,243                          Detachment 30, Operations Support Airlift, Joint Force Headquarters, returned
                                from a deployment to Dijbouti, Africa, in support of Operation Enduring Free-
                                dom - Horn of Africa.
Arkansas National Guard
flight hours on border dur-
ing Operation Jump Start.       Approximately 32 members of the 188th Fighter Wing’s Security Forces de-
                                ployed in July to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan as part of the Air Expeditionary
                                Forces.

u27,950                                                Operation Jump Start
Operational Man days by the
Arkansas National Guard in      Operation Jump Start is the name
support of Operation Jump       given to the deployment of National
Start in Fiscal Year 2008.      Guard troops along the United States/
                                Mexico boarder. National Guard

u91.4                           members were not involved in actual
                                law enforcement activities. They sup-
                                ported the U.S. Customs and Border
Arkansas Soldiers and Air-
man, on average, manned         Protection and U.S. Border Patrol
the US-Mexico boarder in        agencies with administrative and
Fiscal Year 2008.               civil engineering projects. By taking
                                over these two areas they freed up
                                sworn agents to field units. Before
u63%                            the operation wrapped up in July
                                2008, Arkansas had over 80 Soldiers
Drop in the number of ille-     and Airmen on orders in support of
gal crossings through the       the operation, including six in Arizo-
Arkansas sectors of Arizona     na, 71 in New Mexico, eight in Texas
and New Mexico.                 and two in Arkansas.
Annual Report                                                                                            Page 15
State Active Duty

A busy year for the Guard                                                             u81
                                                                                      State Active Duty missions
 In 2008 the Arkansas National Guard proved the value of its dual mission by          in Fiscal Year 2008.
 responding to a spate of natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornados, flood-
 ing and fires. The Directorate of Military Support counted 81 state active duty
 missions in Fiscal Year 2008, a marked rise from the __ in Fiscal Year 2007.
 The 81st mission began Sep. 26, and temporarily provided two water buffalos to
 North Little Rock.                                                                   u24
                                                                                      State Active Duty missions
 The fiscal year’s first state active duty mission began Dec. 13 with a manhunt       undertaken in 15 days after
 in Bee Branch that involved personnel and a Blackhawk from the 77th Theater          the Feb. 5 storms.
 Aviation Brigade. The next 24 missions began Feb. 5, 2008 when a powerful
 tornado ripped through several northwest Arkansas communities in Pope, Van
 Buren, Baxter, Stone and Scott counties. The small town of Atkins, near Rus-
 sellville, was especially hard hit.

 In March, wide-spread flooding
                                                                                      u715
                                                                                      Arkansas Guard members
 brought the Guard out for another six                                                called to State Active Duty.
 missions in communities from Leslie,
 Marshall and Berryville to Jacksonport
 and other areas of northeast Arkansas.

 Another round of tornados and flood-
                                                                                      u100 +
 ing on Apr. 3 resulted in 10 more state                                              Vehicles used to support
 active duty missions. Members of the                                                 State Active Duty missions.
 Guard fanned out to help victims in
 Saline, Baxter and Carroll counties,
 and in Pulaski, Searcy, and Indepen-
 dence counties.                                                                      u25
                                                                                      Instances aircraft were used
 Two more tornados on May 2 and May                                                   to support disaster relief in
 10 resulted in 11 more missions cover-                                               Fiscal Year 2008.
 ing Damascus, Heber Springs, Hens-
 ley, Greers Ferry, Stuttgart and Earle.

                                                                                      u700 +
 By this point, the mission number was
 over 50, compared to just nine state active duty missions in May 2007.

                                                                                      Cots provided for tornado,
 A Jun. 3 manhunt in Van Buren county was mission number 55, and involved             flood and hurricane victims.
 personnel and a Kiowa from the Directorate of Military Support’s Counterdrug
 program.

 Page 16                                                                                          Arkansas National Guard
State Active Duty

u3,000 +                        On Jun. 19, 23 employees at the Washington County Health Department fell ill
                                due to an unknown contaminant, resulting in the 61st Civil Support Team’s first
                                real-world mission for 2008. Sixteen members of the unit, their equipment and
Blankets provided for tor-      a mobile lab truck moved to the seen near Fayetteville, and quickly determined
nado, flood and hurricane       that no volatile substances were involved.
victims.
                                The raging wildfires in California brought five members of the 77th and a Black-

u2,308                          hawk out for mission number 57. They returned to Arkansas July 31.

                                On August 25 news stations in the state caught dramatic footage of the Guard’s
Displaced citizens of New
                                search and rescue capabilities when a Blackhawk crew snatched a stranded hang
Orleans processed through
                                glider from the rocky slope of Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton.
Fort Chaffee.

                                                                           Gustav and Ike
u2,200                                                                   The Arkansas National Guard’s relief
Displaced citizens of New                                                efforts for Hurricane Gustav began well
Orleans housed at Fort                                                   before the powerful storm reached land.
Chaffee following Hurricane                                              State active duty mission 59 began on
Gustav.                                                                  August 29 with the deployment of 44
                                                                         Soldiers and Airmen to Baton Rouge

u216                                                                     International Airport to perform airspace
                                                                         management and command and control,
                                                                         and weather analysis, forecasts and air-
Soldiers and Airmen called
up to work at Fort Chaffee      field resource protection. Also on the 29th, the Guard opened up Fort Chaffee
during evacuee operations.      Maneuver Training Center to Hurricane Gustav evacuees, who numbered over
                                2,300 before they were returned to their homes some 15 days later. A total of 15
                                missions covered Gustav relief efforts, including an airlift of medical patients
u44                             back to health care facilities in Louisiana.

Soldiers and Airmen de-         Hurricane Ike missions began September 10 with the 189th Airlift Wing of
ployed to Baton Rouge           the Air National Guard picking up hurricane relief supplies. State active duty
in support of Hurricane         mission 74 saw two Arkansas Blackhawks and eight personnel from the 77th
Gustav relief operations.       deployed to Texas for possible search and
                                rescue, commodities distribution and/or levy

u40                             repair missions.

                                Mission number 80 for fiscal year 2008
Medical patients returned to    began September 20 when a readiness center
Louisiana via a 189th Airlift   in Texarkana was opened for two days to aid
Wing C-130.                     Texas victims of Hurricane Ike.

Annual Report                                                                                              Page 17
Top Stories
                 Oct. 1, 2007 – Approximately 3,000      Oct. 9, 2007 – Approximately 80 Soldiers with the
                 Soldiers called to active duty for      Headquarters and Headquarters Support Battery of the
                 training in preparation for the 39th    2nd Battalion, 142nd Fires Brigade return from Iraq.
                 Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s
                 2nd mobilization in support of Op-      Oct. 11, 2007 – Group Internment ceremony at Ar-
                 eration Iraqi Freedom.                  lington National Cemetery for the 77th Aviation Bri-
                                                         gade’s Maj. Michael Taylor, Sgt. Maj. William ‘Tom’
                  Oct. 1, 2007 – The 123rd Intel-        Warren, and Sgt. 1st Class John ‘Gary’ Brown who
                  ligence Squadron continues its                                      were killed on January
local mobilization in support of the Predator mission                                 20, 2007 along with
overseas. Housed at the Little Rock Air Force Base,                                   12 others when their
the unit has provided real time data interpretation to                                Blackhawk went down
the troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan since                                to enemy fire outside of
2001.                                                                                 Baghdad.

October 2-13, 2007 – The Camp Robinson based             Oct. 13, 2007 – Grand opening of the new 39,725
Marksmanship Training Center hosted over 400 mili-       square foot Morale Welfare and Recreation complex
tary marksmen for its 37th annual Winston P. Wilson      at Camp Robinson.
Marksmanship Training Exercise and 17th annual
Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting.                      Oct. 13, 2007 – Col. Walter Jones assumes command
                                                         of the Robinson Maneuver Training Center from Col.
                                                         Steve Payne.

                                                         Nov. 2, 2007 - Staff Sergeants Jay Pedro and Randy
                                                         Schnell, with Camp Robinson’s National Guard
                                                         Marksmanship Training Center, placed second in the
                                                         7th annual International Sniper Marks-
                                                         manship Sustainment Training Exer-
                                                         cise, held at Fort Benning, Ga.

                                                         Nov. 3, 2007 - Col. Jim Summers as-
                                                         sumes command of the 189th Airlift
                                                         Wing from Col. Travis D. Balch.

Oct. 3, 2007 - Approximately 40 Soldiers returned        Dec. 6, 2007 - Six Soldiers were re-
from deployment to Iraq with the 77th Theater Avia-      united with their Families, when the
tion Brigade’s Company D, 2nd Battalion, 114th           77th’s Army Airspace Command and
Aviation Regiment (Air Traffic Services).                Control team returned from its yearlong deployment
                                                         to Iraq.
Oct. 8, 2007 - Approximately 250 troops with the Van
Buren and Siloam Springs based Batteries A and B of      Dec. 31, 2007 - Brig. Gen. Larry Haltom, the deputy adju-
the 142nd Fires Brigade’s 2nd Battalion return from      tant general of the Arkansas National Guard, retires after
Iraq.                                                    36 years of service.

Page 18                                                                                             Arkansas National Guard
Top Stories
      Jan. 2, 2008 – The 39th Brigade advance party de-         where the 39th Brigade was preparing for deployment
      parts for the unit’s mobilization station, Camp Shelby,   to Iraq. Fourteen Arkansas Soldiers suffered minor
      Miss. The state would witness 29 more send-offs           injuries when a barracks roof collapsed as a result of
      over the next five days.                                  the powerful storm.

      Jan. 5, 2008 - William J.
      Johnson promoted to the
      rank of brigadier gen-
      eral and appointed as the
      deputy adjutant general
      - the first African Ameri-
      can general officer in the
      Arkansas National Guard.

      Jan. 23, 2008 - The 123rd Intelligence Squadron
      celebrated its 50th anniversary as part of the Arkansas
      Air National Guard.

      Feb. 2, 2008 - The 233rd Regional Training Institute
      opens its new $5.5 million General Instruction Build-
                            ing on Camp Robinson.               Mar. 6, 2008 – The 39th Brigade conducts a farewell
                                                                ceremony at Camp Shelby, Miss., and prepares for its
                            Feb. 5, 2008 – A single tor-        late March deployment.
                            nado tore a 123 mile swath
                            of destruction from Atkins          Mar. 19, 2008 – Heavy rains cause flooding across
                            to Highland, and killed 13          the state and in turn result in seven more state active
                            people. Arkansas National           duty missions for the Guard in Leslie, Marshall, Ber-
                            Guard troops fanned out to lend     ryville, Newark and Jacksonport. Missions included
                            muscle, equipment and support,      fresh water support, emergency shelter, provision
                            resulting in 24 state active duty   of sandbagging equipment, and damage assessment
                            missions over a 12 day period.      flights.

      Feb. 12, 2008 - Over 150 Soldiers with the Ozark          Mar. 23, 2008 – Approximately 60 Soldiers with the
      based Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Fires Brigade       Fayetteville based Headquarters element of the 142nd
      arrive home to the United States just two days shy of     Fires Brigade returns from Iraq via Fort Sill, Okla., on
      Valentine’s Day.                                          Easter Sunday.

      Mar. 1, 2008 - The 223rd Combat Communications            Apr. 3, 2008 - Another round of Arkansas tornados
      Squadron closes its doors in Hot Springs, sealing the     tore through the state resulting in state active duty
      final chapter of the Air National Guard unit’s 55-year    missions from Cammack Village in Pulaski County to
      history.                                                  Hurricane Creek in Saline County. Total states mis-
                                                                sion count for the fiscal year breaks 40.
      Mar. 3, 2008 – A tornado struck Camp Shelby, Miss.,                                        Continued on page 20

Annual Report                                                                                                    Page 19
Top Stories
Continued from page 19                                     command of the 142nd Fires Brigade to then-Lt. Col.
                                                           Keith Klemmer in a ceremony at Fort Chaffee.
Apr. 17, 2008 – For the second time in Iraq, the 39th
Brigade officially takes responsibility of their mission
with a transition of authority ceremony.

April 24, 2008 - The 87th Troop Command welcomes
home 30 Soldiers with its North Little Rock based
871st Troop Command Headquarters after having
completed a yearlong ‘mayor’s cell’ mission in Tallil,
Iraq.

May 4, 2008 – Sgt. Er-
ich Smallwood, of Tru-
man, and Sgt. John Ray
Massey, of Higginson,
were honored for their
sacrifice at Camp Rob-
inson when their names
were added to the Guard’s Killed in Action Memorial.       Jun. 8, 2008 - Travis D. Balch promoted to the rank
Both men were killed in Iraq while deployed in 2007.       of brigadier general and named chief of staff for the
                                                           Arkansas Air National Guard.
May 2, 2008 – Tornados result in the call for Guard
support in Damascus, Heber Springs and Hensley.            June 19, 2008 – Approximately 30 employees of the
                  The Guard was primarily tasked           Arkansas Department of Health in Fayetteville fell ill
                  with providing security in the dev-      with respiratory problems as a result of an unknown
                  astated areas.                           contaminant. The 61st Civil Support Team (WMD)
                                                           was called out to support the local authorities and
                    May 10, 2008 - The state ac-           found there to be no unexpected volatile substances
                    tive duty mission count topped         on the scene.
                    50 when another round of strong
                    storms moved through the state,        June 30, 2008 – The 87th Troop Command welcomes
                    spawning a powerful tornado that       home 70 members of the brigade’s North Little Rock
                    left a large part of Stuttgart in      and Dumas based 213th Medical Company (Area
                    ruins.                                 Support) at the conclusion of its mission to provide
                                                           ‘level II’ medical care to all of South Central and
May 17-18, 2008 - The 2008 Fort Smith Air Show             Southeast Iraq. By the end of the unit’s deployment,
was cohosted by the City of Fort Smith, Fort Chaffee       the 213th had treated over 20,000 patients.
Community Council and the 188th Fighter Wing. The
two-day event drew over 220,000 attendees.                 July 5, 2008 - Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Woodham, of
                                                           Rogers, Ark., died in Tallil, Iraq, of non-combat re-
May 18, 2008 - Col. Jeffrey Montgomery hands over          lated causes while serving with the 39th Brigade.

Page 20                                                                                             Arkansas National Guard
Top Stories
      July 12, 2008 – Five Soldiers with the 77th Aviation        provide weather briefings and forecasts to the pilots
      Brigade departed for California with a UH-60 Black-         supporting the effort.
      hawk equipped with a “Bambi bucket” to assist with
      the state’s massive wildfires. The Air Guard’s 123rd        Aug. 30, 2008 – Evacuees seeking shelter from the
      Intelligence Squadron was also called upon to provide                                    incoming Hurricane
      imagery analysis support during the operation.                                           Gustav begin arriving
                                                                                               at Fort Chaffee Maneu-
      July 28, 2008 - Over 30                                                                  ver Training Center.
      members of the188th Fighter                                                              The post welcomed a
      Wing’s 188th Security Forces                                                             total of 2,308 evacu-
      Squadron, from Fort Smith,                                                               ees primarily from the
      deployed to Manas Air Base                                                               New Orleans area.
      in Kyrgyzstan for a six month
      rotation in support of Opera-                               Aug. 31, 2008 – Hurricane Gustav hits the Gulf
      tion Enduring Freedom.                                      Coast. The Guard responds to a total of 14 state ac-
                                                                  tive duty missions as a result of the storm. Arkansas
      Aug. 11-15, 2008 – The com-                                 was called upon for missions ranging from emergency
      mander of the Guatemalan Air Force, Brig. Gen. Juan         shelter, commodities distribution (primarily cots and
      Ruiz leads a delegation of other Guatemalan lead-           blankets), damage assessment flights and imagery
      ers during a visit to the natural state as part of their    analysis.
      partnership with the Arkansas National Guard in the
      international State Partnership Program.                    Sep. 1, 2008 – Maj. Gen. (Ret.) James Herbert “Jim-
                                                                  mie Red” Jones, former adjutant general of the Arkan-
      Aug. 25, 2008 – The Guard responded to its 58th state       sas National Guard, passes away at his home in Hot
      active duty mission by deploying a UH-60 Black-             Springs at the age of 88.
      hawk helicopter to Conway County for an extremely
      dangerous night rescue of a stranded hang glider pilot      Sep. 13, 2008 – Hurricane Ike hits the Gulf Coast.
      who had crash landed on the side of Petit Jean Moun-        The Guard responds to a total of six state active duty
      tain.                                                       missions as a result of the storm. Missions ranged
                                                                  from generator power support, delivery of hurricane
      Aug. 29, 2008 – The advance party of a total team           relief supplies, deployment of Blackhawks for possi-
      of 44 Soldiers and Airmen headed south to Camp              ble search and
      Beauregard, La., in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.       rescue, and
      The Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 114th Security and
                                                                  transportation
      Support, were tasked to provide airspace management
                                                                  of medical
      and command and control for all aviation assets there
                                                                  patients back
                                          to support the relief
                                                                  to Louisiana
                                          effort. The Air-
                                                                  via C-130.
                                          men of the 154th
                                          Weather Flight
                                                                  Sept. 25, 2008 - Arkansas Guard named business of
                                          were deployed as
                                                                  the year by the North Little Rock Chamber of Com-
                                          part of the team to
                                                                  merce.
Annual Report                                                                                                      Page 21
Financials
Arkansas County t DeWitt t Stuttgart t Ashley County t Crossett t
Baxter County t Mountain Home t Benton County t Bentonville t Siloam               The Guard is
Springs Rogers t Boon County t Harrison t Bradley County t Warren t
 Carroll County t Berryville t Chicot County t Lake Village t Clark                Big Business
 County t Arkadelphia t Clay County t Rector t Piggott t Cleburne
 County t Heber Springs t Columbia County t Magnolia t Conway County t                    The Arkansas Nation-
  Morrilton t Craighead County t Jonesboro t Crawford County t Van Buren                 al Guard is comprised of
  t Crittenden County t West Memphis t Cross County t Wynne t Dallas
                                                                                        130 units in 66 communi-
  County t Fordyce t Desha County t McGehee t Dumas t Drew County
   t Monticello t Faulkner County t Conway t Franklin County t Ozark                  ties throughout the state.
   t Charleston t Garland County t Hot Springs t Grant County t Sheri-              There are two major training
   dan t Greene County t Paragould t Hempstead County t Hope t                     sites in the state which bring
   Hot Springs County t Malvern t Independence County t Batesville t             in tens of thousands of troops
   Jackson County t New Port t Jefferson County t Pine Bluff t John-
                                                                               from across the nation for train-
  son County t Clarksville t Lawrence County t Walnut Ridge t
  Lee County t Marianna t Logan County t Boonesville t Paris t               ing, positively impacting the local
  Lonoke County t Lonoke t Miller County t Texarkana t Mis-                 economies.       The Guard’s budget
  sissippi County t Blytheville t Monroe County t Brinkley t              is 96 percent federal funds, bringing
  Nevada County t Prescott t Ouachita County t Camden t Perry           over $230 million into the state annu-
  County t Perryville t Phillips County t West Helena t Poin-
                                                                       ally. Along with construction projects
  sett County t Harrisburg t Marked Tree t Polk County t
  Mena t Pope County t Russellville t Prairie County t Ha-           totaling over $11 million, the Arkansas
  zen t Pulaski County t Little Rock t North Little Rock            National Guard’s total operating budget
  t Little Rock Air Force Base t Saline County t Benton           was nearly $300 million in Fiscal Year 2008.
  t Searcy County t Marshall t Sebastian County Fort
  Smith t Sevier County t DeQueen t St. Francis
          County t Forrest City t Union County t El
          Dorado t Washington County t Fayetteville t
          Lincoln t Springdale t White County t Beebe
          t Searcy t Woodruff County t Augusta t Yell
                 County t Dardanelle t Danville


State Expenditures


Federal Funding




Page 22                                                                                        Arkansas National Guard
Military Construction

u39,000                       A new 39,000 square foot
                              Morale Welfare and Rec-
                              reation complex opened on
Square foot morale Welfare    Camp Robinson Oct. 13.
and Recreation complex        The $3.5 million complex
opened in Fiscal Year 2008.   houses the Rock restau-
                              rant, Rock lounge, a coffee

u$55 mil                      bar, barber shop, the post
                              exchange, a Federal Credit
                              Union branch, a dry clean-
Multi-phase RTI project
                              ers and a gift shop.
kicked off by completion of
$5.5 million Phase I.
                                                                                   The grand opening and dedi-

u$14 mil                                                                           cation of the 233rd Regional
                                                                                   Training Institute’s $5.5
Million dollar ammo supply                                                         million general instruction
point opened on Fort Chaf-                                                         building Feb. 2 marked the
fee Maneuver Training Area.                                                        completion of phase one of a
                                                                                   three phase $55 million proj-


u$1.5 mil
                                                                                   ect to bring the RTI’s facilities
                                                                                   up to the same high standards
                                                                                   of the training it provides.
Million dollar multi-phase
machine gun range under
construction on Fort Chaf-
fee Maneuver Training Area.                     Current Construction
                              Chaffee Maneuver              Armed Forces Reserve Center             $19 million

u$19 mil                      Training Center
                              Robinson Maneuver             Ammo Supply Point                       $4 million
Million dollar Armed Forces
                              Training Center
Reserve Center under con-
struction at Fort Chaffee     Robinson Maneuver             Urban Assault Course                    $2 million
Maneuver Training Area.       Training Center


u$3.9 mil
                              Chaffee Maneuver              Consolidated Maintenance Facility       $27 million
                              Training Center

Million dollar ammo supply    Arkadelphia                   Armed Forces Reserve Center             $13 million
point under construction at   Robinson Maneuver             Professional Education Center           $18 million
Camp Robinson Maneuver        Training Center               GED Plus Complex
Training Area.                (As of Sep. 30, 2008)
Annual Report                                                                                               Page 23
Economic Impact
 County         City                 Impact

 Arkansas       Stuttgart        $       1,169,679
 Ashley         Crossett         $         648,681
 Baxter         Mountain Home    $       1,107,834
 Benton         Bentonville      $         840,107
                Siloam Springs   $         772,091
                Rogers           $         781,591
 Boone          Harrison         $       2,097,596
 Bradley        Warren           $       3,157,204
 Carroll        Berryville       $         618,795
 Clark          Arkadelphia      $         641,442
 Clay           Rector           $       1,239,424
 Cleburne       Heber Springs    $       1,042,660
 Columbia       Magnolia         $       1,346,524
 Conway         Morrilton        $         892,846
 Craighead      Jonesboro        $       3,973,558
 Crawford       Van Buren        $         837,108
 Crittenden     West Memphis     $       2,460,977
 Cross          Wynne            $          12,533
 Dallas         Fordyce          $         578,805
 Desha          Dumas            $       1,188,753
 Drew           Monticello       $       1,201,028
 Faulkner       Conway           $       1,532,125
 Franklin       Ozark            $         772,138
                Charleston       $         916,066
 Garland        Hot Springs      $       2,929,060
 Grant          Sheridan         $         724,824
 Greene         Paragould        $       1,274,776
 Hempstead      Hope             $         639,117
 Hot Springs    Malvern          $       2,649,594
 Independence   Batesville       $         945,013
 Jackson        New Port         $       1,184,191
 Jefferson      Pine Bluff       $       3,484,295
 Johnson        Clarksville      $         943,485
 Lawrence       Walnut Ridge     $         573,267


Page 24                                              Arkansas National Guard
Economic Impact
                County                   City                    Impact

                Logan                    Boonesville         $        1,516,086
                                         Paris               $          947,598
                Lonoke                   Lonoke              $          555,487
                Miller                   Texarkana           $          625,431
                Mississippi              Blytheville         $          736,574
                Monroe                   Brinkley            $          603,126
                Nevada                   Prescott            $          560,202
                Ouachita                 Camden              $          639,319
                Perry                    Perryville          $          548,144
                Phillips                 West Helena         $        1,749,296
                Poinsett                 Harrisburg          $          650,204
                                         Marked Tree         $        1,276,161
                Polk                     Mena                $          568,514
                Pope                     Russellville        $        3,262,067
                Prairie                  Hazen               $        1,751,675
                Pulaski                  Little Rock         $        2,918,031
                                         North Little Rock   $       96,744,044
                                         LRAFB               $       24,914,927
                Saline                   Benton              $        1,299,444
                Searcy                   Marshall            $          781,400
                Sebastian                Fort Smith          $       32,365,786
                Sevier                   DeQueen             $          632,886
                St. Francis              Forrest City        $          647,470
                Union                    El Dorado           $          572,115
                Washington               Fayetteville        $        3,640,486
                                         Lincoln             $          672,270
                                         Springdale          $          854,912
                White                    Beebe               $          586,338
                                         Searcy              $        2,796,454
                Woodruff                 Augusta             $          394,701
                Yell                     Dardanelle          $          826,533
                                         Danville            $          595,838
                Total Arkansas National Guard Impact         $      232,410,706
                Total State Budget Fiscal Year 2008          $       12,300,000


Annual Report                                                             Page 25
Legislative Accomplishments

District Breakdown                                                                     u$22.9 bil
                                                                                       Budgeted for the National
 21 Guard units in Congressman Marion Berry’s district (Northeast)                     Guard Bureau by the De-
 36 Guard units in Congressman John Bozeman’s district (Northwest)                     fense Authorization Bill.
 19 Guard units in Congressman Mike Ross’ district (South)

                                                                                       u3,564
 62 Guard units in Congressman Vick Snyder’s district (Central)


President signs bills                                                                  Additional full-time slots for
                                                                                       the Army National Guard as
 Just hours before the new fiscal year began the President signed a funding bill
                                                                                       authorized by Congress.
 for the Department of Defense and Military Construction. The Defense Autho-
 rization bill was signed on Oct. 14. In the appropriation bill, Congress provides
 a total of $22.9 billion for the National Guard, an additional $1.2 billion, or 5.4
 percent, over the President’s request of $21.6 billion.                               u90
                                                                                       Additional full time posi-
 In the authorization bill, Congress has approved all four of the National Guard       tions in the Arkansas Na-
 Bureau’s legislative proposals, including the critical increase in control grade      tional Guard.
 limits. The bill more than doubles requested growth in Army National Guard
 full-time staffing by authorizing 3,564 additional positions above 2008 lev-
 els. This includes 2,010 additional Active Duty Guard and Reserve slots, and
 represents the largest increase in full-time manning in 22 years. Arkansas has
 acquired 90 of these additional full time slots.
                                                                                       u2,010
                                                                                       Additional Active Duty

Families benefit                                                                       Guard and Reserve posi-
                                                                                       tions nationwide as autho-
                                                                                       rized by Congress.
 Changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act, authorized by the National De-
 fense Authorization Act of 2008, will extend the period of unpaid, job-protected,
 leave that eligible Family members can take to care for wounded warriors.             u$5.5 mil
 The rule gives America’s military Families special job-protected leave rights to      General Instruction Building
 care for brave service members who are wounded or injured.                            opened on Camp Joseph T.
 The legislation also helps Families of members of the National                        Robinson.
 Guard and Reserves manage their affairs when their service
 member is called up for active duty.

 Eligible employees, who are Family of covered service mem-
                                                                                       u26
 bers, can take up to 26 work weeks of leave in a 12-month                             Work weeks of leave a Fam-
 period to care for a Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor or Coast                         ily member can take in a 12
 Guardsman who became ill or injured in the line of duty. For                          month period to care for a
 more information go to www.ngb.army.mil/ll.                                           wounded service member.

 Page 26                                                                                           Arkansas National Guard
People

u5,856                                                The Arkansas Army National Guard named its top
                                                      Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer Mar. 22 follow-
                                                      ing a tough three day competition that tested nerves and
Federal awards processed                              skills. Spc. Sean R. Walters of Battery A, 1-142nd Fires
for Arkansas Guard mem-                               Brigade, was named 2008 Soldier of the Year. Sgt. 1st
bers.                                                 Class Gregory L. Gordey of the 87th Troop Command’s
                                                      106th Army Band earned NCO of the Year Honors.

u1,508
State awards processed for
Arkansas Guard members.
                                                Employees of the Year

u16
Family Assistance Centers
throughout the state.




u70
Arkansas youths participat-
ing in the 2008 Minuteman
Youth Camp at Camp Rob-
inson.


u847                           Employees of the Year: The 2008 Arkansas National Guard employees of the
Promotions in the Arkansas     year were announced Dec. 9, 2008, recognizing those who’s performance of
Army National Guard in FY      duty, customer service, team building, attitude, work ethic, safety commitment
2008.                          and community involvement are of the highest standard. From left to right: Ms.
                               Lesa Booker, Youth Programs, state non-administrative category; Ms. Suzanne
                               Homesly, 189th Airlift Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard, state administra-

u6                             tive category; Master Sgt. Toni Jasper, 189th Airlift Wing, Air National Guard
                               Active Guard and Reserve category; Staff Sgt. Stephanie Tucker, United States
Special Emphasis Obser-        Property and Fiscal Office, Army National Guard Technician category; Senior
vances in coordination with    Master Sgt. Gary Ash, 189th Airlift Wing, Air National Guard Technician cate-
the Little Rock Cultural and   gory. Not pictured is Capt. Brian Mason, 87th Troop Command, Army National
Diversity Commission.          Guard Active Guard and Reserve category.

     Annual Report                                                                                           Page 27
Training

Camp Robinson MTC                                                                      u32,000
                                                                                       Acres make up the Camp
                                        The Robinson Maneuver Training Center
                                                                                       Robinson Maneuver Train-
                                        provides year-round installation, logistical
                                                                                       ing Center.
                                        and training support to military units, law


                                                                                       u1.6 mil
                                        enforcement agencies and civilian organi-
                                        zations. The 32,000 acre facility is home to
                                        the Arkansas National Guard’s Joint Force
                                        Headquarters, and is host to three premier     Rounds of ammunition ex-
                                        training centers: The National Guard Pro-      pended on the ranges at
 fessional Education Center, the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center           Camp Robinson Maneuver
 and the 233rd Regiment Regional Training Institute. Camp Robinson is also             Training Center during Fiscal
 home to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the 77th Theater             Year 2008.
 Aviation Brigade, the 87th Troop Command, Joint Force Headquarters and the
 Arkansas National Guard Museum.
     CRMTC boast several rifle, machine gun and mortar ranges, exciting moun-
 tain bike and hiking trails, a nine-hole golf course, and some of the best hunting
 in the state. CRMTC was the site of the 2008 Winston P. Wilson Sustainment
                                                                                       u437,000
                                                                                       Man days of training for
 Training Exercise, and the international Armed Forces Skill at Arms meeting.
                                                                                       Soldiers, Airmen, Seamen,

Fort Chaffee MTC
                                                                                       Marines and law enforce-
                                                                                       ment on CRMTC.


                                The Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center,
                                located near Fort Smith, provides quality facili-
                                                                                       u65,000
                                ties, weapons ranges and training land for all         Acres make up the Fort
                                military units. Army and Air National Guard,           Chaffee Maneuver Training
                                U.S. Army Reserve, active Army, U.S. Navy              Center.
                                Seabees, Marines, and active duty Navy SEALs
                                take advantage of FCMTC’s 65,000 acres of
                                training land. Annual usage of FCMTC places
                                the post among the top five of all Army National
                                                                                       u474,000
                                                                                       Man day usage of FCMTC in
                                Guard training centers. Fort Chaffee’s full-time       Fiscal Year 2008.
                                employees, annual federal budget and usage are
                                significant contributors to the local economies
                                of many Sebastain County communities. In FY
                                2008, FCMTC was the first in the National Guard
                                                                                       u63
                                to host a Brigade sized element in fielding the        Various units, from all com-
 new National Guard Exportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC), which                ponents, conducted mis-
 uses “theatre immersion” techniques that allow Soldiers to train while becoming       sion essential training at
 familiar with the sights and sounds they will encounter on the battlefield.           FCMTC in Fiscal Year 2008.
 Page 28                                                                                           Arkansas National Guard
Training

u2,026                                                                                  233rd RTI
Soldiers trained at the 233rd     The 233rd Regiment Regional Training Institute is the
Regional Training Institute       largest full time infantry school in the nation next to
in 2008.                          Fort Benning, Ga. The 233rd RTI trains Soldiers from
                                  all 54 states and territories and boasts an accomplished
                                  Pre-mobilization Training Assistance Element (PTAE),
u54                               which assists with training, evaluation and certification
                                  of mobilizing units in the National Guard. In February
States and territories’ Sol-      2008, the RTI opened the doors of its new $5.5 million
diers trained at the 233rd RTI.   general instruction building, the first phase of planned
                                  $55 million project to bring its facilities up to the same

u$5.5 mil
                                  high level as the instruction it provides.


General Instruction Build-
ing dedicated in Fiscal Year
                                                                                               NGMTC
                                                               The Marksmanship Training Center is the proponent
2008.                                                          for marksmanship warfighter skills training through
                                                               sustainment and formal school programs, actively
                                                               training Army and Reserve Component Soldiers and
u991                                                           Airmen from all 54 states and territories on a variety
                                                               of weapons. As a combat force multiplier, these pro-
Soldiers and Airmen trained       grams are designed to improve readiness and sharpen skills for deployment opera-
by the Marksmanship Train-        tions. NGMTC boasts the only Army National Guard sniper school in the U.S.,
ing Center in FY 2008.            and the only Close Precision Engagement Course in the Air Force as a whole.
                                  The National Guard Marksmanship Training Center annual hosts the Winston P.
                                  Wilson Warfighter Sustainment Training Exercise concurrently with the interna-
                                  tional Armed Forces Skill at Arms Meeting, with over 400 participants.

u21,000                                                                                        NGPEC
Plus students attended the        Camp Robinson is home to the National Guard Bureau’s Professional Educa-
National Guard Professional       tion Center. The PEC is the primary center for vocational training for full-
Education Center in FY            time unit support personnel from all 54 states and territories, and has state of
2008.                             the art conferencing capabilities. In FY 2008, the PEC launched the Army


u$3.6 mil
                                  National Guard GED Plus residential training program, with about 2,000
                                  young Soldiers earning their GED. In FY 2008 the
                                  PEC trained over 20,000 Soldiers and Airmen, in-
In economic impact for cen-       cluding over 300 Arkansas National Guard mem-
tral Arkansas as provided         bers. Students and conference attendees generate
by the Professional Educa-        an estimated economic impact of over $3.6 million
tion Center.                      annually.

Annual Report                                                                                                Page 29
Programs
Counter Drug                                                                           u20,000
 The Arkansas National Guard’s counterdrug program, and specifically the               Marijuana plants eradicated
 seasonal marijuana eradication effort, is a unique aspect of the Guard’s mission      with the help of the Arkan-
 and a part of the national drug control strategy. The program was started with        sas National Guard
 a presidential authorization in 1989 and provides funds from the Department of


                                                                                       u550 +
 Defense on a yearly basis to governors, who submit plans specifying the us-
 age of each state’s National Guard assets to support counterdrug efforts. The
 State Police are the lead agency in any interdiction or eradication efforts, and
 routinely request support due to the Guard’s unique ability to provide trained        Flying hours for the Guard’s
 citizen Soldiers and Airmen with military skills and equipment, legal status as a     OH-58 Kiowas in support of
 state militia, and strong ties to the local communities affected by the persistence   law enforcement efforts.
 of illicit drugs.

CSTP                                                                                   u323
 The Civilian Student Training Program is a state funded program, working
 with the juvenile justice system, that provides a structured, discipline-based        Court ordered juveniles
 and military style behavior modification environment. The program accepts             were enrolled in CSTP in
 adjudicated, male nonviolent youthful offenders ranging in age from 13 to 17.         Fiscal Year 2008.
 It is a nine week residential, multi-phase, program that stresses value-based
 learning, physical fitness, academic and life skills education, and community
 service. The program was proposed by the Arkansas                                     u18,500
 National Guard and established by the state legislature in                            Community service hours
 1993, and is a part of the State Military Department. All                             performed by CSTP stu-
 participants are enrolled under court order. Although not                             dents in Fiscal Year 2008.
 a General Education Degree program, CSTP has a better

                                                                                       u97
 than 80 percent GED attainment rate.

Youth Challenge                                                                        Youth Challenge Cadets,
 The Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge is a program for at-risk youth            representing classes 29 and
 ages 16 to 19. Cadets live on Camp Joseph T. Robinson for 22 weeks during             30, graduated in Fiscal Year
 the residential phase. The program is centered on eight core components which         2008.
 teach the skills cadets need to be successful members of society. Academic
 excellence, physical fitness, job skills, service to the community, health and
 hygiene, responsible citizenship, leadership/followership, and life coping skills     u49
 are the eight components. Following the residential phase cadets continue to          Youth Challenge Cadets
 report their success through their mentor. Youth Challenge is one of three youth      earned their GED or high
 programs supported by the Arkansas National Guard Youth Foundation, which             school diploma.
 obtained its 501(c) (3) tax exempt status during fiscal year 2008.
 Page 30                                                                                          Arkansas National Guard
Programs

u12                                                                  State Partnership
                               Arkansas’ International Affairs State Partnership Program with Guatemala be-
State Partnership Program
                               gan in June 2002 as part of a National Guard Bureau nation-wide program that
events during Fiscal Year
                               links 45 states, two territories and the District of Columbia with 54 countries
2008, including seven ex-
                                                                         around the world. Along with providing
changes.
                                                                         an understanding of each state’s partner

u150                                                                     countries’ capabilities, these partner-
                                                                         ships often provide opportunities to
                                                                         learn from each other on shared experi-
Guatemalan military and civil-
                                                                         ences that are unique to the respective
ians the State Partnership
                                                                         partnership. The idea is to foster mutual
Program worked with in Fis-
                                                                         interests and establish long-term rela-
cal Year 2008.
                                                                         tionships across all levels of society.


u708                                                                                                    ESGR
                                    Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of De-
Employer Statements of              fense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain
Support signed in Fiscal            employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding
Year 2008.                          support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts through me-
                                    diation. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation and, if neces-

u2,500                              sary, mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees. The Arkansas
                                    National Guard, in concert with the Arkansas ESGR committee, conducted a
                                    “virtual boss lift” on August 29 which provided Arkansas employers a look into
Arkansas employers par-
                                    the lives of their deployed employees. Twenty-five local employers and several
ticipated in ESGR events in
                                    congressional representatives joined the adjutant general of the Arkansas Na-
Fiscal Year 2008.
                                    tional Guard, Maj. Gen. William Wofford, as he briefed them on the mission of
                                    Arkansas’s 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Iraq.

u913                                                                    Funeral Honors
                                    The Military Funeral Honors Program officially began in October 2006, and was
Funeral burial missions
across the state in Fiscal          created to honor those who have served their country. The program provides
Year 2008.                          final military funeral honors to military veterans and retirees as specified by the
                                    Congress of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. The Camp Joseph
                                    T. Robinson-based program works with local

u101                                veteran service organizations across the state to
                                    train and certify their own programs. Arkansas
                                    Army National Guard volunteer members of
Arkansas Army Guard vol-
                                    the program performed over 913 burial mis-
unteers actively participated
                                    sions across the state in fiscal year 2008.
in the Funeral Honors pro-
gram.
Annual Report                                                                                                   Page 31
Directorates
Aviation                                                                              u16
 The Deputy Chief of Staff for Aviation is responsible for the Army Aviation          UH-60 Blackhawk helicop-
 Support Facility, and provides centralized control and proper utilization of all     ters returned from deploy-
 Arkansas Army National Guard aviation assets. DCSAVN, through the AASF,              ment to Iraq.
 is responsible for the training and standardization of aviation air crew mem-
 bers, and direct support maintenance for all aircraft assigned to supported units.
 Detachment 30 Operational Support Airlift Command, and the Reconnaissance
 and Interdiction Detachment are the two major sub organization attached to the
 AASF. Det. 30 provides fixed wing support of the National Guard, military
                                                                                      u17
                                                                                      State’s aircraft under the con-
 departments and federal agencies as scheduled by the Army National Guard Op-         trol of Task Force Razorback
 erational Airlift Command. RAID provides aviation capability for counterdrug         during Hurricane Gustav
 operations in support of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.          operations in Louisiana.

Engineering
 The Deputy Chief of Staff for Engineering provides construction, environmental
 and facility management services to the Arkansas Army National Guard, and pro-
                                                                                      u25
                                                                                      Construction projects com-
 vides for purchases and construction accounting through its Cooperative Funding      pleted or on-going on state
 Agreement Center. The Fiscal Year 2008 budget was $27,910,000. The funds             properties.
 supported real property and environmental programs, including utilities, salaries,


                                                                                      u$93.7 mil
 maintenance and repair of facilities, environmental compliance/conservation, and
 minor construction projects. The Environmental section is involved in the over-
 all effort to protect groundwater and surface water on our training lands. The
 Conservation and Forestry staff helped conduct prescribed fires at both training     Obligated to six major and
 centers. The Cultural Resource manager consults with Native American tribes in       25 minor construction proj-
 the preservation of prehistoric sites, and monitoring energy consumptions re-        ects.
 mains a primary focus.

Information Management                                                                u194
                                                                                      Macro purchases totaling
 The Deputy Chief of Staff for Information Management procures, deploys and
                                                                                      $7.2 million processed by
 sustains technologies that allow the Guard to effectively accomplish its mission.
                                                                                      DCSIM.
 In FY 2008, DCSIM was able to extend the Arkansas Guard network across state
 lines and enable access for 39th IBCT Soldiers training at Camp Shelby, Miss.,


                                                                                      u4,500 +
 prior to their deployment. In addition to work on
 armory technology infrastructure upgrades, DCSIM
 provided support service of significant training events
 throughout the year. The directorate provided instru-                                Soldier Readiness Process-
 mental support to Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training                                     ings supported by DCSIM in
 Center and forward deployed units during Hurricanes                                  Fiscal Year 2008.
 Gustav and Ike operations.
 Page 32                                                                                          Arkansas National Guard
Directorates

u10,000 +                                                                               Logistics
Pieces of Guard surface        The Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics advises and assists the adjutant gen-
equipment and vehicles         eral in resource use, and provides federal resources that are made available
maintained.                    to the Arkansas National Guard. DCSLOG is paired with the United States
                               Property and Fiscal Office, which retains accountability and responsibility for
                               resources, and is the steward of public resources. Fiscal Year 2008 saw the
u300,000                       establishment of the Directorate of Logistics on Oct. 1, 2007, which has Com-
                               mand Logistics and Maintenance divisions. The Command Logistics division
Meals served to Soldiers.      includes the Command Supply Discipline Program, Command Food Service,
                               Logistical Plans and Policy, Combat Service Support Automation Manage-
                               ment and Defense Movement Coordinator offices.


u81                                                            Military Support
State Active Duty missions     The Directorate of Military Support is responsible for coordination and
in Fiscal Year 2008.           oversight of all State Active Duty missions, and assists in the restoration
                               or preservation of the peace and safety of the citizens of Arkansas. DOMS
                               accomplishes this through contingency operations, counterdrug efforts, mili-

u60
                               tary support to civil authorities, physical security, force protection and the
                               61st Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction). DOMS is also has
                               overall responsibility for the Arkansas National Guard Drug Demand Reduc-
State Active Duty missions     tion Program, the Civilian Student Training Program, Youth Challenge and the
in support of weather relat-   Arkansas National Guard Joint Operations Center. A record 81 State Active
ed incidents in the state.     Duty missions were approved and accomplished in Fiscal Year 2008, includ-
                               ing 14 missions in support of Hurricane Gustav operations, and 60 in support
                               of weather related incidents in the state.


u14,000                                                                          Operations
Deploying Soldiers trained     The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations is responsible for training, opera-
and certified by the Arkan-    tions, plans, readiness, mobilization, force development and modernization.
sas Army National Guard        The Operations and Training division is responsible for plans and policies, the
PTAE.                          schools program, ammunition allocations, training area development plans
                               and the training budget. The Readiness and Mobilization division is responsi-
                               ble for force structure, force modernization, combat

u3,216                         readiness, and the mobilization and deployment of
                               units and individual Soldiers. DCSOPS established
                               the Pre-Mobilization and Evaluations Battalion in
Soldiers trained in there
professional development       Fiscal Year 2008, which provides training assistance
courses.                       and documentation for deploying units.

Annual Report                                                                                          Page 33
Directorates
Personnel                                                                             u19,544
 Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel ensures quality professional services are        Personnel transactions
 provided to Soldiers and their Families, and is responsible for all Army National    through Deputy Chief of
 Guard personnel actions in Arkansas. DCSPER includes the personnel services          Staff for Personnel.
 branch, action branch, education services office, state Family readiness office,

                                                                                      u1,064
 transition assistance office, Arkansas Employer Support of the Guard and Re-
 serve office, and Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System project
 office. DCSPER supported the mobilization of the 39th IBCT with soldier readi-
 ness processing activities for over 5,327 troops. DCSPER is also the lead agency     Non prior service gains, and
 in the implementation of DIMHRS, which is set for Spring 2009 and will revolu-       439 prior service gains to the
 tionize the way personnel and pay is handled in the military. Family Assistance      Arkansas National Guard in
 are geographically located at Readiness Centers throughout the state.                Fiscal Year 2008.



State Resources                                                                       u$12.3 mil
 The Directorate of State Resources is responsible for maintenance, repair and        State budget for Fiscal Year
 utility costs for the 69 National Guard readiness centers throughout the state,      2008.
 and for the facilities of the Joint Force Headquarters at Camp Robinson and Fort
 Chaffee. DSR administers all state funds and resources that support the Arkan-
 sas National Guard. DSR also administered $46.9 million in federal support
 through Federal/State Cooperative Funding Agreements, and military construc-
 tion. When Arkansas National Guard members are called to State Active Duty
                                                                                      u100 +
                                                                                      Million dollars of Military
 for emergencies such as natural disasters, or in support of training missions, DSR   Department state property
 provides payrolls and other operations payments. DSR spent $1,485,466 in total       value.
 purchases and payroll in support of the Hurricane Gustav disaster.


Human Resources                                                                       u618
                                                                                      Full time jobs announced,
 The Human Resources Office provides and maintains a quality full-time work-
                                                                                      and 2,496 applicants
 force that trains and supports Arkansas National Guard units capable of perform-
                                                                                      screened by the Human
 ing state and federal missions. HRO includes the Recruitment and Placement of
                                                                                      Resources Office.
 all full-time federal employees of the Arkansas National Guard. It includes the
 Employee Benefits, Development and Training sections, Equal Opportunity and
 labor Relations offices. For Fiscal Year 2008, HRO assisted in the mobilization
 of 350 full time members, requiring nearly 1,000 transactions to transfer person-    u340
 nel to Title 10 status. HRO assisted in 53 Butterbaugh claims, resulting in 1,250    Employees trained in a va-
 hours of pay being recouped for current and former Arkansas National Guard           riety of military and civilian
 members. HRO also coordinated six special emphasis observances during the            courses.
 year in coordination with the Little Rock Cultural and Diversity Commission.
 Page 34                                                                                          Arkansas National Guard
Honoring our Fallen
The Arkansas National Guard
FY 2008 Annual Report                        No Combat Losses in 2008
                                         The Arkansas National Guard did not suffer any combat losses in Fiscal Year 2008.
Maj. Gen. William D. Wofford
The Adjutant General                     However, the Guard did suffer the loss of Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Woodham due to
Publisher                                natural causes while he was deployed with the 1st Squadron, 151st Cavalry Regi-
Capt. Chris Heathscott                   ment, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Tallil, Iraq. Woodham, of Rogers,
State Public Affairs Officer             Ark., was a member of Delta Company, 39th Brigade Support Battalion, Heber
Commander, 119th MPAD                    Springs, Ark.
Editor in Chief

Maj. Keith Moore
                                         On May 4, 2008, the names of two more Arkansas National Guard Soldiers were
Air Guard Public Affairs Officer         added to the Killed in Action Memorial in a ceremony held on the grounds of the
Managing Editor                          Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Armstrong Chapel on Camp Robinson. The two plaques
                                         added to the memorial honored Sgt. Erich Smallwood of Truman, Ark., and Sgt.
Staff Sgt. Chris A. Durney               John Ray Massey of Higginson. Their names joined those of 46 other fallen Guard
Public Affairs Specialist
Editor                                   members. Smallwood died near Balad, Iraq, May 26, 2007, and Massey died July
                                         15, 2007 in Balad.
Ms. Adrienne Brietzke
Public Affairs Specialist                On Oct. 12, 2007, three of Arkansas’ fallen were given a special honor during a
Associate Editor
                                         combined internment and memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for remains of
Maj. Craig Heathscott                    12 Guard members killed on Jan. 20, 2007 when their UH-60 went down to enemy
39th IBCT                                fire northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Sgt. 1st Class John Gary Brown, Maj. Michael
Public Affairs Officer                   Vernon Taylor and Sgt. Maj. William Thomas Warren of the 77th Theater Aviation
                                         Brigade were among the crew of “Easy 40” honored during the ceremony.
Master Sgt. Bob Oldham
189th Airlift Wing
Public Affairs Specialist

Capt. Heath Allen
188th Fighter Wing
Public Affairs Officer

The Arkansas National Guard An-
nual Report is an official publication
of the Arkansas Military Depart-
ment, and is published under the
provisions of AR 360-1, AFI 35-101
and the Arkansas Military Depart-
ment. It is available free of charge
and is distributed as per the Adjutant
General’s instructions. The Annual
Report is designed, laid out and ed-
ited by the Arkansas National Guard
Public Affairs Office: (501) 212-
5020. Views expressed herein are         Members of the Arkansas Army National Guard honor Sgt. Erich Smallwood
not necessarily those of any state or    and Sgt. John Ray Massey, whose names were added to the Killed in Action
federal government agency.               Memorial on Camp Robinson May 4, 2008.
Annual Report                                                                                                       Page 35
Arkansas Minuteman
Arkansas National Guard
TAG-DZ-PA
Camp Joseph T. Robinson
North Little Rock, AR 72199-9600