New Jersey hosts Region 1, Northeast (NE) Adjutants General meeting.

The Chief of the National Guard Bureau, LTG Stephen Blum, conducted a Region 1 NE Adjutants General meeting on 15 April 2004. BG Glenn K. Rieth hosted the event at NJDMAVA's state-of-the-art Homeland Security Center of Excellence. The meeting was a candid, open session between the Chief and ten Adjutants General to discuss key issues related to the National Guard. The Adjutants General met informally on Wednesday evening at the 50th Brigade's Garden Room. On Thursday, 15 April 2004, LTG Blum accompanied by BG Rieth, paid a courtesy call to Governor James E. McGreevey, Commander in Chief of the New Jersey National Guard. Governor McGreevey expressed his pride and concern for the welfare of our soldiers and airmen. LTG Blum thanked the Governor for his commitment and assured him that National Guard Bureau will continue to support the New Jersey National Guard.

Attention World War II Veterans!

On Saturday, 25 May 2004, America wants to say "Thank You" to each and every one of you for the sacrifices and services you provided to this great nation in its time of need.

In Washington, DC that day, a monument is being dedicated to honor the veterans who served in that war. Thousands of veterans will be descending on the Capitol for the event. However, there are no more tickets available, and many of you cannot travel that far for a number of reasons.

The American Legion has called for each of its units throughout the nation to develop their own plans for a local celebration to coincide with the national dedication ceremonies. Marshall "Ted" Behr, Jr., the American Legion State Commander for New Jersey, along with unit commanders from Eastern Pennsylvania, have gotten together to pool their talents and resources and provide a large-scale tribute at Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront just adjacent to the Battleship New Jersey.

Activities will begin at 1 p.m. World War II veterans will be admitted with tickets, whether they are a member of the American Legion or any other veteran organization or not! All that you have to do is call 1-800-860-7286 to register by May 1, 2004. You will receive tickets during the week of May 15th. Veterans will be provided with free passes to board the Battleship New Jersey. Vendors will be on site with food and beverages throughout the day's activities. There will also be a variety of displays and vehicles from the World War II era as well as live entertainment. At 2 p.m. a large screen will provide live coverage of the events in Washington, DC.

New Smoking Room dedicated at the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park.

The dedication of the new Smoking Room was held on Wednesday, 14 April, in the Town Square area of the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park. CEO Joseph Brandspiegel extended a warm welcome to the residents and honored guests, who included COL (Ret) Emil H. Philibosian, Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs, COL (Ret) Michael B. Smith, DMVA Assistant Commissioner, Commander Frank Ferguson, American Legion Post 88, American Legion State Commander Marshall "Ted" Behr, Jr., Department Adjunct, American Legion, Ray Zawacki, and Menlo Park 's Resident Council President and American Legion Past Commander, Joseph Lynch. Mr. Brandspiegel expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation to the members of the American Legion Post 88, who donated $70,000 for the new Smoking Room. Residents now will have a safe and secure environment that is fully heated and air-conditioned.

NJ Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (NJESGR) held its annual Boss Lift.

Six members of the NJESGR Committee escorted 23 employers on a "Boss Lift" to Gulfport, Mississippi, on 7-9 April 2004. The group traveled on New Jersey's 108th Air Refueling Wing's KC-135E aircraft, and proceeded to the Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) in Gulfport. The attendees were provided with excellent briefings, and were able to witness first-hand how the Reserve Component men and women are being trained. The entire group was received warmly by the personnel at the CRTC and the local Chamber of Commerce. The Bosslift attendees were in awe as they moved from site to site, and were actually briefed first hand by the U.S. Coast Guard on a live rescue mission that had not yet been reported by the press. Carol Beske, the Boss Lift Director, indicated survey responses that were turned in reflected very positive feedback. The Boss Lift program is a very effective tool that educates the general public about the tremendous service our men and women are providing to our State and Nation. The NJESGR Committee is very appreciative of the support received from DMVA, and looks forward to meeting the challenges we both face in the immediate future.

Veterans to be honored at upcoming Medal Ceremonies.

The following ceremonies have been scheduled to honor our State's veterans.

Armory Happenings - Check to see what's happening at an Armory near you

Colonel Maria Falca-Dodson, Deputy Adjutant General, is the first woman to become a General in the NJ National Guard.

A Pinning Ceremony in honor of Brigadier General Maria Falca-Dodson, DAG, will take place on Saturday, 17 April 2004 at 1 p.m. at the NJ National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Drill Floor, 3650 Saylors Pond Road, Fort Dix, New Jersey. Dress is as follows: Military – Uniform of the Day and Civilians – Smart Casual.

New Jersey Freedom Loans UPDATE!

What is a Freedom Loan?

­ Up to $10,000
­ Annual APR 6%
­ Term: 5 years (no pre-payment penalty)
­ Unsecured loan (no collateral required)
­ Principal and Interest deferred for a year during Deployment

Who can apply?
­ NJ Residents who are members of the National Guard or Reserves
­ Mobilized for one year or longer to fight in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) excluding routine training.

- OR -

­ Served 90 or more consecutive days in the GWOT on federal or state active duty (excluding routine training) and have received orders extending cumulative active duty a year or longer.

How do I apply?
­ Contact participating banks. Call or visit your local branch office to obtain an application.
­ Guardmembers, Reservists, or family members with Power of Attorney must submit copies of current mobilization orders with the bank’s Freedom Loan application.
­ To date, the following banks have already agreed to participate:

Commerce Bank
1-888-751-9000

Fleet
1-800-841-4000

PNC
1-866-PNC-4USA

Sovereign Bank
1-877-391-6365

Call them or stop at one of their local branches to complete an application for the loan.

Residents at the Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland were honored during a medal ceremony.

COL (Ret) Emil H. Philibosian, Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs, presented Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Medals to 59 residents at the Vineland Home on Friday, 16 April 2004. Twenty-five additional residents were presented with Certificates of Appreciation during the ceremony held at the Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland. Department employees, Kathy Hymes and Karen Hansen, assisted COL Philibosian with the medal and certificate presentations. Special thanks to Mr. Leigh Pottle, Veterans Entitlement Officer at the Vineland Home for his assistance in organizing this special medal ceremony.

New Family Assistance Center in Somerset to open soon.

The newest NJ National Guard Family Assistance Center is scheduled to open at the Somerset Armory on Sunday, 18 April 2004, at 1400 hours. All members of the National Guard and their families are welcome to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Soldier Readiness Processing being conducted.

The Joint Force Headquarters, New Jersey National Guard, is conducting Soldier Readiness Processing from 12-18 April 2004 for the following units of the New Jersey National Guard: HQ, 42nd DISCOM, 119th Corps Support Battalion, 150th GSAB, 150th and 350th Finance Detachments, 150th Signal Battalion, 50th Main Support Battalion. These units are preparing for deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. These events will occur in various locations across the state, including Fort Dix and Sea Girt, New Jersey. The Joint Force Headquarters, New Jersey National Guard has the responsibility to prepare New Jersey units for mobilization in support of their federal Mission.

NJ Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and Vietnam Era Education Center's Upcoming Event Schedule

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

Today in History…

Today is Friday, 16 April 2004 and the 107th day of the year. There are 260 days left in the year. On this day…

* 1724 – First Easter observed.
* 1818 – The U.S. Senate ratified Rush-Bagot amendment to form an unarmed U.S.-Canada border.
* 1900 – The first book of postage stamps was issued.
* 1929 – New York Yankees become the first team to use numbers on their uniforms.
* 1940 – Bob Feller throws the first opening day no-hit, no-run game.
* 1968 – The Pentagon announces troops would begin coming home from Vietnam.
* 1972 – Two giant pandas (Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing) arrived in the U.S. from China.
* 1977 – The ban on women attending West Point was lifted.
* 1987 – The U.S. Patent Office began allowing the patenting of new animals created by genetic engineering.

Interesting Science Facts…

­ The average person falls asleep in seven minutes
­ The largest eggs in the world are laid by a shark.
­ There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in every human.
­ Clouds that form at the surface of the Earth are known as fog.
­ There are more than 20,000 varieties of orchid.