New
Jersey National Guard Challenge Youth Program | National
Guard Militia Museum
Selective Service | Installations
Division | MISC.
New Jersey National Guard Challenge Youth Program
The
New Jersey National Guard Challenge Youth Program, located at Fort Dix,
is a 22- week residential program for 16 to 18 yearold high school dropouts.
The program’s goal is to give eligible students a second chance through
education, cultivating life skills, leadership, and employment training.
Challenge is a voluntary program aimed at developing well-rounded citizens.
After the residential phase has been completed, each student is assigned
a mentor for one year. These mentors provide guidance and advice while
charting each student’s progress in the working world or in the next
phase of education.
Since its inception in 1994, 653 cadets have graduated. Of those 653 cadets, 67 percent have obtained their General Education Diploma (GED) which places New Jersey’s Challenge program above the national average of 54 percent in a traditional educational setting. Challenge graduates also have gone on to vocational, technical, or fouryear colleges. Many are now employed full time while others have joined various branches of the armed forces to take full advantage of the military’s tuition assistance programs.
The Challenge Program has worked closely with other state, local, and military organizations over the past year. Cadets have received environmental training from the staff at Pequest Hatchery and have gone on orientation flights with the 108th Air Refueling Wing. One of the most prestigious duties cadets perform is post retreat. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Challenge cadets have the honor of lowering the flag at the end of each day. Although Challenge is located at Fort Dix, nearby McGuire AFB has provided invaluable opportunities for job training skills in areas ranging from outdoor recreation to aircraft maintenance. In the true spirit of community service, Challenge has conducted several blood drives at Fort Dix.
The New Jersey National Guard Challenge Youth Program will continue to instill positive values and a sense of duty, honor and pride into the minds of New Jersey’s youth.
The
National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey is located at the National
Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. Located off Route 71, it is open for
guests every Tuesday and Thursday, the first weekend of the month, and
by appointment.
The Museum’s mission is to preserve and explain New Jersey’s militia history and enhance public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and national experience.
Volunteers from the private sector and the NJNG serve as the Militia Museum staff. The Trustees of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey Inc., a support organization, assist staff efforts to educate visitors about New Jersey’s militia and its many valuable contributions throughout our nation’s history.
Tunique mission for The Adjutant General is to provide support for the Selective Service System, an independent branch of the federal government. Selective Service’s mission is to provide manpower to the armed forces in times of emergency and administer the alternate service program for conscientious objectors.
The Military Selective Service Act and Selective Service regulations provide for local boards allocated according to county or corresponding political subdivision. There is also a provision for appeal boards to be established by federal judicial districts, in addition to a National Appeal Board. The appeal boards act in cases where persons do not agree with the classification given them by the local boards. The review boards act on claims relating to job assignments from alternative service workers. The Director of Selective Service appoints board members in the name of the president upon recommendation of the governor. There are eight Selective Service offices in New Jersey consisting of local boards, one review and one district appeal board.
The New Jersey State Director of Selective Service is Mr. John E. Coley, Jr., of Warren Township, a civilian appointed by the Governor. The Selective Service Detachment is comprised of members of the New Jersey Army National Guard and other military reservists.
The Detachment is responsible for identifying and recruiting individuals to serve as board members. To the maximum extent possible, the membership of each board is proportionately representative of the race and national origin of the registrants in the area it serves. Members also must reside within the area served by the board to which they have been appointed.
At present, there is no requirement to induct people into military service. The integrity and credibility of the entire Selective Service System depends on a fair and effective classification process maintained by trusted and objective leaders in local communities. Accordingly, the Detachment provides local board members with formal training in the interpretation of Selective Service regulations for processing claims submitted by registrants.
The Detachment contracted with all high schools throughout the state to advise them of the laws requiring registration in order to ensure a federal, or state post-secondary education loan. At their request, members of the Detachment visited 50 high schools and 1,100 students were registered.
To maintain their qualifications, board members attend internal training sessions on a monthly basis and a three-day training course at Regional Headquarters in Great Lakes, Illinois. Detachment members also attended a National Conference held by the National Headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The following are the activities and accomplishments of the Installations Division:
The Office of Real Property relocated the following Veteran Services Offices: Jersey City, Patterson and New Brunswick.
At the new Menlo Park Veterans Home – excessed three buildings of furniture and equipment. Accepted, placed, and tagged all new furniture and equipment for new facility.
Right of Entry for SPRINT intercontinental telecommunication cable at Sea Girt was completed. Revised 25 year addendum to easement complete.
During the year, 300 leases were completed generating total revenue of $676,787.06.
The Office of Construction Supervision issued 25 permits of which five permits were issued with a partial release, and an additional eight projects are currently under Department of Community Affairs review.
The Facility Management Bureau provided immediate custodial and maintenance force support to the NJNG’s efforts during Hurricane Floyd.
The Planning Section completed 240 construction force work orders, the NJDMAVA Real Property Development Plan, and a Pre-Application was submitted and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for $1.1 million for Brig. Gen. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery projects.
The Energy Section maintained DMAVA’s Facility Utility Ledger and developed and distributed the Annual DMAVA Energy Consumption Data Manual for each NJARNG building. Facilities were identified that need to reduce their utility usage and provided recommendations for implementing energy conservation programs.
The Operations and Maintenance Section renovated and upgraded armory apartments at Teaneck, Vineland, Jersey City and West Orange, completed renovations and improvements to Division Logistics Systems Office and the new Emergency Operations Center Room at Somerset ICRC and completed demolition and rehab of the Westfield and Teaneck rest room facilities.
The Office of Environmental Compliance recycled over 443 tons of material to include: White Paper (176.5), Newspaper (11.5), Cardboard (47.25), Plastic (1.25), Aluminum Cans (3.75), Tin Cans (1.3), Scrap Metal (197.3), Glass (4.25).
Archaeological/Cultural Resources – completed architectural surveys to determine state historic and national registry eligibility for all New Jersey Army National Guard facilities statewide.
Completed an inventory of significant, historical military objects at all New Jersey Army National Guard facilities statewide.
Completed procedures to change National Guard facilities hazardous waste status from Large Quantity Generator to Small Quantity Generator. This will reduce the amount of NJDEP fees incurred by each facility and removes all requirements for a mandatory NJDEP inspection. There was no increase in the amount of hazardous waste produced from fiscal year 1998.
The Construction Management Bureau completed 20 projects in FY 99. The dollar value of those projects that were designed was $2,910,462. In 1999, 27 projects were bid, at a total dollar value of $3,475,782. Twenty-four (24) contracts awarded totaled $2,475,782.
Thirty-seven projects valued at $7,005,720 were under construction during FY 99.
The Construction Management Bureau designed, bid or awarded the following projects:
Sea Girt, building 60 roof structure, $79,000;
Jersey City, roof replacement, $260,000,
Phillipsburg, ADA modifications, $108,000;
Sea Girt, exterior pistol/rifle range, $310,760;
Jersey City, elevator, $702,200;
Teaneck, drill floor rehab, $298,000;
Woodbridge, window replacement, $220,000;
Woodbridge, roof replacement, $234,000;
Atlantic City, flightline safety, $189,800.
The following
projects were under construction
during FY 99:
Morristown, fire sprinkler installation, $189,850;
Newark ICRC, drill floor rehabilitation, $389,431;
Teaneck, fire/life safety, $483,375;
Vineland Home, elevator, $106,220;
Newark, window replacement, $407,200;
Franklin, roof replacement, $134,352;
Sea Girt, barracks renovations, $974,000;
Arneytown, committal shelter, $105,857;
Jersey City, window replacement, $369,960;
Various, asbestos abatement, $51,340;
Various, vehicle storage pads, $318,900;
Dover/Riverdale, window replacement, $213,475;
Underground storage tank removals, $922,456;
Veterans Haven, elevator/stair, $377.725;
Newton, roof replacement, $134,986;
Paramus, roof replacement, $97,000.
Personnel
Division
The Division of Personnel reported the following accomplishments in 1999:
Represented The Adjutant General on the State Employee Recognition Committee.
Concluded a successful New Jersey State Employee Charitable Campaign.
Initiated safety and training newsletters.
Provided Workers Against Violence Efforts (WAVE) training to department employees.
Affirmative
Action Office
The Affirmative Action Department joined with the Department of Community
Affairs Center for Hispanic Policy Research and Development’s Hispanic
Interns in Community Service program. This program provided the Offices
of Government Relations and Information Management with two talented interns.
The department conducted several special emphasis programs this year which included the Federal Women’s Program, Black Employment Program, Hispanic Employment Program, and the Take Our Daughters To Work Day
The Affirmative Action office resolved eight formal and seven informal discrimination and sexual harassment complaints at a significant cost savings to the department.
Directorate
of Information Management
During the past year, the Directorate of Information Management greatly
enhanced the digital infrastructure of the department. Great strides have
been made with regard to connectivity with both state and federal government
and the management of the boundaries between the two networks. High speed
Internet access has been provided to many department users. Windows NT
is used as a secure environment for local and wide area networks. This
provides the required security while making the systems compatible with
industry standards. These improvements have been done with commercial
technology and are compatible with other government organizations and
outside agencies.
The Adjutant General has initiated the partnership process with the Community Learning and Information Network (CLIN). CLIN is a public-private partnership creating a community linked learning and information system that provides everyone equal access to education, training, and information required for lifelong learning, new skills development, and enhanced quality of life. A state advisory board will be established to encourage state and private sector investment in the growth of statewide distance learning program. This program will include a system of public and private classrooms as well as the establishment of courseware repositories available to everyone where distance learning sites are located. The partnership of government and private agencies will allow rapid expansion of the program to the benefit of all concerned.
New
Jersey National Guard Challenge Youth Program | National
Guard Militia Museum
Selective Service | Installations
Division | MISC.