A soldier from the Virginia National Guard hugs his daughter after returning home from a deployment. Virginia National Guard Soldiers returned home in mid-December after serving in Iraq since August 2011. (National Guard Photo by SFC A.J. Coyne)
Episode #117: Weekly News Roundup for January 6, 2012
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have a new member: the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. Air Force General Craig Mckinley became a member of the Joint Chiefs when President Barack Obama signed the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act December thirty-first.
The act included other provisions specific to the National Guard including changing the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a three-star position and rescinding the position of Director of the Bureau’s Joint Staff.
The act provides $670 billion in spending for Defense Department programs as well as nuclear weapons programs handled by the Department of Energy.
Following threats by the Iranian government, the Department of Defense has reaffirmed its position, having naval vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz, near Iran.
January is National Blood Donor Month, and the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) needs your help.
On Thursday, the Defense Department released a strategy plan that will allow for more than $450 billion in budget cuts over the next ten years while maintaining America’s military superiority.
Episode #116: Weekly News Roundup for Dec. 23
In “This Week in the DoD” for Dec. 23:
This week marks the official end of the mission in Iraq. Now soldiers are coming home and re-uniting with loved ones in time for the holidays.
On Monday, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta issued a letter to the troops. The letter comes after a week long trip to Djibouti, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and Libya. It discussed his visit with troops serving abroad as well as his experience presiding over the end of mission ceremony in Bagdad. He concluded the letter by thanking our service members for the crucial role they played in making the world a safer and more hopeful place.
The National Guard has been a vital part of the coalition team protecting the U.S.-Mexican border. Now, their mission along the United States’ southern frontier will be changing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has died. Monday, reports from state-run t-v in North Korea filled global airwaves as people worldwide contemplated what his death will mean for the future.
Vets4Warriors offers Guard Members, Reservists Peer-to-Peer Counseling
By Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. John Orrell and Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau, www.ng.mil
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to face the unique challenges of providing peer counseling, the National Guard unveiled, during a ceremony at Capitol Hill, its newest initiative, Vets4Warriors.
Vets4Warriors, a toll-free, peer-to-peer counseling hotline, will provide Guard members and all reserve component members with the ability to speak with counselors on the phone or online.
As former service members, the counselors will be able to provide empathy, understanding and a wide variety of tools to help the modern day service member fight the fight on the front lines and the home front, said Army Col. Gregg Bliss.
“[This is ] a peer support hotline that allows service members of any reserve component to call the center 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and discus any issues, challenges or problems they have with a peer counselor,” said Bliss, the Army National Guard’s Soldiers and families support division chief.
“[Service members can speak with ] somebody who’s been in the military, somebody we believe … will perhaps have a better understanding of what some of their challenges and issues may be, and then either provide them with referrals or recommendations on how they could they could resolve their issues or even just talk to them and listen to them.”
Bliss said that having a program dedicated to strictly anonymous, peer-to-peer counseling is a key step in letting people know, there’s no stigma in asking for help and it’s okay to not be okay.
“You have got to be open, honest and candid if you’re having challenges, and share them with somebody who you believe is there or willing to support you,” he said. “We expect most of our Soldiers, at some point and time in their career, to have some challenges that are bigger than themselves and the only real thing that we ask you to do is acknowledge that.”
Once the service member reaches out to Vets4Warriors, the counselor will try to match them to any of the resources available.
National Guard Members Take Care of Afghanistan’s Animals
Video from Joint Combat Camera Afghanistan
This may look like a farm, but it’s still a battlefield. For these veterinarians, the shots don’t come from the rifle, but are filled with vaccines. The Kentucky Army & Air National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team’s mission is helping farmers in Afghanistan improve their agricultural practices, and that means taking care of the animals as well. Check out this video to learn more:
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