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NJ Dept of Military and
Veterans Affairs

Maj Gen Glenn K. Rieth
The Adjutant General

Brig Gen Maria Falca-Dodson
Deputy Adjutant General

Col (Ret) Stephen G. Abel
Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs

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Contacting us is easy!

Office of the Assistant Commissioner

Col (Ret) Michael B. Smith

Mrs. Laura A. Branham

Phone: (609) 530-6987

Fax: (609) 530-7109

Email:
branham@njdmava.state.nj.us

We're on the Web!
http://www.nj.gov/military

Veterans’ Organizations Contact Information

State Veterans Service Council

Mr. Richard Clark
RJClark21@msn.com

NJ Advisory Committee for Women Veterans

Mrs. Anna Hoffman
hoffmanannem@aol.com

BG Willam C. Doyle Cemetery Advisory Council

Mr. William Rakestraw
warjrnj@msn.com

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Veterans Hotlines

Benefits & Entitlements
1-888-8NJ-VETS
(1-888-865-8387)

Mental Health
1-866-VETS-NJ4
(1-866-838-7654)-

NJ World War II Memorial

For information or to make a donation, call

609-530-7049-

New Jersey Freedom Loans

What is a Freedom Loan?

* Up to $10,000
* Annual APR 6%
* Term: 5 years (no pre-payment penalty)
* Unsecured Loan (no collateral required)

Who is eligible to apply?

NJ residents who are:
* Members of the National Guard or Reserve
* 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 routing 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.

Current participants:

Commerce Bank
1-888-751-9000

Credit Union of NJ
609-538-4061, ext. 401

First Morris Bank & Trust
1-888-530-2265

Manasquan Savings Bank
732-223-4450

North Jersey Federal Credit Union
1-888-78NJFCU

Peapack-Gladstone Bank (908)
719-BANK

Pennsville National Bank
856-678-6006

PNC
1-866-PNC-4USA

Sovereign Bank
1-877-391-6365

Sun National Bank
1-800-691-7701

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Monday, 20 February 2006

“When you get to be President, there are all those things – the honors, the twenty-one gun salutes, all those things. You have to remember it isn’t for you. It’s for the Presidency.”

- Harry S. Truman

23rd President of the United States

In observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday, all state and federal offices will be closed on Monday, 20 February 2006.

MG Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General – New Jersey, traveled to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, on 15-17 February 2006 to visit with members of the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 50th Personnel Service Battalion (250th Personnel Detachment).  The troops, 80 members strong, will be deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

This trip was just one of MG Rieth’s ongoing visits to the mobilization sites of deploying soldiers and airmen to check on their well-being and morale prior to their overseas departure.  MG Rieth was accompanied on the trip by CSM Richard Adkins, CSM James Marshall, and LTC Matthew Mulqueen.

Chief Master Sergeant Paul M. Gunning, State Command Chief Master Sergeant, recently announced New Jersey’s nominations for the USAF 12 Outstanding Airmen, Base Honor Guard Member, and Outstanding First Sergeant of the Year Award Programs.  Based on selection criteria such as leadership and job performance in primary duties, significant self-improvement, and base and community involvement, the following individuals were selected after a stringent board process:  108th Air Refueling Wing, SrA Jeffrey A. Bock – Airman category; 177th Fighter Wing, SSgt Francis A. Spence – NCO category; 177th Fighter Wing, CMSgt Michael R. Francis – SNCO category; 108th Air Refueling Wing, SMSgt Paul J. Kasica – Base Honor Guard Member category; and 177th Fighter Wing – SMSgt Howard R. Dawson – First Sergeant category.  Congratulations to these truly deserving Airmen!

Recently the 177th Fighter Wing Military Personnel Flight (MPF) was named as one of the nine units recognized as Air National Guard Outstanding Military Personnel Flight of the Year.  The MPF is headed by Captain Diana Brown, who was named as the Air National Guard Base Level Junior Personnel Manager of the Year for 2005.  Their accomplishments include the mobilization of more than 600 unit members in support of ongoing contingencies and exercises as well as personnel support provided for Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) and Hurricane Katrina relief operations.  In addition, they serviced over 913 retirees and more than 100 U.S. Coast Guard members for ID cards and DEERs updates and 700+ identification cards for unit members and their families.

2006 National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week: 12-18 February

Celebrities, youth groups, community leaders, members of the general public and veterans service organizations will be visiting Veterans Affairs medical centers, nursing homes, state veterans homes, and other facilities to increase community awareness of the role of VA centers, to pay tribute to hospitalized veterans, and to encourage Americans to visit and volunteer to help.  Chairman of this year’s National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans is former NASCAR champion, Richard Petty.

According to VA officials, the program began in 1978 when the VA took over sponsorship of a program started in 1974 by No Greater Love, Inc., a humanitarian organization.  The observance takes place during the week of Valentine’s Day because the sentiments of caring and sharing match the salute’s purpose of expressing honor and appreciation to hospitalized veterans.

For 14 years, the late newspaper columnist Ann Landers devoted her column in January to the national salute, asking readers to send Valentine cards and letters to hospitalized veterans at their nearest VA medical centers.  According to VA officials, more than 1 million cards and letters are sent to VA patients each year during the salute.

What is OMK?  OMK is a collaborative outreach initiative to provide support and assistance to geographically dispersed military youth and their families.  OMK has partnerships with the USDA, Child and Youth Services, National 4-H program.  Boys and Girls Clubs of America and American Legions.

- Creates community support network for military youth “in our own backyard” when Soldier parents are deployed.

- Delivers recreation, social, educational programs for military youth living in civilian communities.

- Supports military kids coping with the stress of knowing their deployed parents may be in harm’s way.

- Collaborates with schools to ensure that staff is attuned to the unique needs of military students.

- Educates the public on the impact of the deployment cycle on Soldiers, families, kids, and the community.

OMK includes Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK), a state-wide initiative to educate citizens about the impact of deployments on all members of the community.  The OMK initiative has also developed Hero Packs, which are backpacks that are given to deployed service members’ children.  The backpacks recognize the strengths of military-connected children and thank the youth for their sacrifices they make when their loved ones are deployed.

OMK members will be meeting on Sunday, February 25, 2006, from 10-3 p.m. in Westhampton, Burlington County.  To register for this event, please check out the website at www.njomk.org.

This program is opened to ANYONE interested – ages 0-99.   For more information, please contact the NJNG Youth Coordinator Amanda Balas at 609-562-0742 or aandabalas@hotmail.com.

The 108th ARW conducted a Load Exercise during the February Unit Training Assembly (UTA).  The Exercise was designed to focus on some of the cargo issues that arose from October’s Operational Readiness Exercise (ORE).

“When we did the ORE, we noticed shortfalls in cargo, especially in redeployment.  We decided to focus on that for drill,” said Lt. Col. Robert Doolittle, the 108th ARW vice commander.

On the Saturday of the drill weekend, many members gathered up their gear and the required paperwork as if they were actually leaving on a deployment.  After completing the regular out-processing procedures, personnel were bussed from the 108th ARW to the passenger terminal, where they would have normally boarded a plane, and then back to the 108th ARW.

In April, the 108th ARW will be participating in an ORE in Savannah, Georgia.  “We are very pleased with the results of the LODEX,” said Lt. Col. Doolittle.  “We are well on our way to an excellent April deployment.

Register your employer:  Members of the National Guard and Reserve an now register their employers in a national database, hosted by the Defense management Data Center (DMDC).  Registering your employer will provide Reserve Force planners with valuable input that may help reduce the impact of call-ups on employers, and make it possible for your command or DOD to send information to your employer to promote support of your military service.  National Guard/Reserve members can go to the following link, http://www.esgr.org, click on “Military Member” and then click on “Register Your Employer.

Once again, the Enlisted Association is asking for your support by becoming a member of the Enlisted Association again this year.  Your continued support will increase our numbers and give our State a larger voice on all legislative issues that will benefit you and your families.  Your Association works for you at the Federal and State level on all important issues.  Visit our website www.EANG-NJ.org and click on Benefits for the application and also find out more about what we do.  Thank you for your support.  You can reach the Membership Chairman, Jerome Zebrowski, with any questions at 609-214-6959 or jcptfalc@aol.com or Co-Chairman, Edward Goetschius, at 609-965-1972 or esgtmaj@comcast.net.

Anheuser-Busch launched “Here’s to the Heroes” in February 2005 to acknowledge the service of military men and women and the sacrifices made by their families.  More than 900,000 members of U.S. and coalition armed forces took advantage of the program offering free admission to Anheuser-Busch theme parks.  The program provides a single day’s free admission to any one Sea World or Busch Gardens park, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the servicemember and as many as three of his or her direct dependents.  Additional information can be found at:  http://www.americasupportsyou.mil.   

PREP is NOT therapy, and is unlike anything to which you have been exposed.  No encounter group or sharing of personal concerns, simply thrilling insights into a more loving, grown filled relationship!  PREP begins with teaching effective communication skills, addresses problem resolution strategies that work, and teaches how to discover the hidden issues in every relationship.  The program then moves into friendship, forgiveness, fun, and sensuality.  If you are interested in attending (soldiers that were deployed are given priority) or need additional information, please call Marie Durling at 609-562-0739. 

PREP is scheduled to be held at the Ramada Inn, East Windsor, New Jersey on the following dates:  17-19 February and 24-26 March 2006.

The New Jersey Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program has several part-time employment opportunities immediately available across the state for TDGs and Technicians.  Earn one day’s base pay and one retirement point for a few hours work providing Military Funeral Honors for our Veterans.  If you are interested, please contact SGM Edward Goetschius, Military Funeral Honors Coordinator, at 609-530-7090 or by e-mail at Edward.goetschius@nj.ngb.army.mil.

A Retirement Party is planned for SSG Maria Hutchison and will be held at 1400 hrs. on 12 March 2006 at the Spring Lake Manor, 415 Highway 71, Spring Lake Heights, NJ.  Cost is $25 per person.  Contact Nick Perone by March 5th at Nick.Perone@us.army.mil or at (732) 539-5047.

NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Educational Center’s upcoming event schedule.

25 March, 1:00pm
“Screaming Eagles in Vietnam:  The 101st Airborne Division during the War”  -- an oral history discussion and slide presentation by NJ Vietnam Veteran Peter Engelhardt.

7 April, 5:00pm
Scholarship Deadline - Scholarships ($2,500 each) will be awarded to two graduating seniors from NJ who plan to further their education either at a college, university, or technical/trade school.  Scholarship details and application forms can be obtained at www.njvvmf.org or by calling (732) 335-0033.

29 April, 1:00pm
“The Trail” – video presentation of an illustrated narrative about “walking point” in a combat patrol in the Vietnam War, by Vietnam Veteran Robin Bartlett.

7 May, 11:00am
NJ Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day Ceremony

20 May, 1:00pm
For Armed Forces Day – “The Originals” – The Women’s Auxiliary Ferry Squadron of WWII – Breaking the Gure ender Barrier in Military Aviation – a lecture by Honey Fulton Parker, youngest sister of one of the first WAFS, Dorothy Fulton.

29 May, 11:00am
Memorial Day Ceremony.

For more information, please call the NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation office at (732) 335-0033. or (800) 648-VETS.

The Vietnam Era Educational Center is located adjacent to the NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at Exit 116.

Family Readiness Council Grants available.

The State Family Readiness Council has established a Grant Program that will provide both Family and Business Grants to deserving New Jersey National Guard families impacted by deployment. Additional information regarding these grants is available at Family Assistance Centers and Family Readiness Groups throughout the state. Those interested should contact Family Assistance at 1-888-859-0352.

Fitness Corner - Ernest Razzano, Certified Fitness Trainer, ISSA

Overtraining

No exercise or training program proceeds completely free of difficulty.  There are certain problems you’re bound to encounter and, therefore, should be on the lookout for.  Too much of anything is n   no good for you.  Overtraining is not exactly what it sounds like.  It doesn’t always mean that you have trained too much, but that perhaps you have trained for too long at the same level.  Or, commonly, it can mean that you’ve overdone it with one or two exercises (e.g., too much weight, too frequently).

Overtraining can sometimes be attributed to several factors that converge at the same time.  You must be able to respond well to stress, not jut physically, but mentally and emotionally.  Therefore, there are other, non-training related, elements that affect your conditioning. 

Problems in the following area could have an effect on your training:

1. Academic/studies
2. Financial status
3. Family
4. Drugs
5. Personality conflicts
6. Schedule conflicts
7. Poor training facilities
8. Monotony in training or lifestyle
9. Poor diet or sleep habits
10. Inadequate coaching
11. Lack of encouragement
12. Time-consuming or strenuous job that interferes with your workouts.
13. Poor coaching or personality conflicts with coach.
14. Inflicting too severe exercise stress upon your body.  This is by far the MOST significant cause of overtraining!

Avoiding Overtraining:

1. Develop a schedule that doesn’t stress you.
2. Develop a rational training program.
3. Conform your workouts to cycle training principles.
4. Vary your training methods
5. Sleep 8 hours a night
6. Practice sound nutrition.
7. Use appropriate supplements.
8. Take a nap.  A 20-minute nap is all it takes to rejuvenate and energize you.
9. Let logic rule your training – not ego!
10.  Make a personal trainer connection and work together

NJ Air National Guard Girls Softball Team plans St. Patty’s Day event.

Join the NJ Air National Guard Girls Softball Team for a St. Patty’s Day Dance and Chinese Auction on 18 March, 6-10 p.m., at the VFW in Cookstown, NJ. Tickets are $25 and include a buffet, music, door prize, cash bar and auction items. Buy your tickets by March 11 from Master Sgts Bonnie Gaskell, 609-562-0925, Tania Prairie, 609-754-2308, Keith Hyde, 609-754-6870, and Staff Sgt Stephanie Marshall, 609-754-8903.

On this day in history -

Today is Friday, February 17th. It is the 48th day of the year with 317 remaining.

1621 – Miles Standish appointed 1st commander of Plymouth colony.
1801 – U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson was elected President and Burr became Vice President.
1897 – The National Congress of Mothers was organized in Washington, D.C., by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Heast. It was the forerunner of the National PTA.
1933 – The first issue of Newsweek was published.
1943 – New York Yankee, Joe DiMaggio, enlists into the U.S. Army.
1968 – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opens in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1996 – World chess champion Gary Kasparov beat the IBM supercomputer “Deep Blue” in Philadelphia, PA.

Ash Wednesday Services are scheduled

DMAVA - 0900 - Cafeteria
JFHQ - Ft. Dix - 1030 - Drill Floor Bldg 3560
108th ARW - 1200 - 108th Operations Auditorium, Bldg 3390
177th FW - 1430 - Dining Hall Bldg 400

Mark your Calendar

27 April – Administrative Professional Day
14 June – Trenton Thunder Military Appreciation Day
15 June – Unity Day
16-22 July – National Guard Youth Camp (Sea Girt, NJ)

President's Day Trivia

Twenty-six presidents were lawyers before becoming president.

Twelve presidents were generals: Washington, Jackson, W. Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, A. Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, B. Harrison, and Eisenhower.

Eight presidents were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J.Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison.

Nine presidents never attended college.

Harvard has the most presidents as alumni (6), with Yale a close second (5).

The most common religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

The Ancestry of all 43 presidents is limited to the following seven heritages, or some combination thereof: Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss, or German.

The oldest elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president – he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated.

The tallest president was Lincoln at 6’4”. Madison, at 5’4”, was the shortest.

Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy were assassinated in office. Assassination attempts were made on the lives of Jackson, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Truman, Ford, and Reagan..

Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.

Lincoln, Jefferson, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.

National Guard's Olympic Connection

Five Army National Guard soldiers will help represent the U.S. during the XX Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.  Spc. Jeremy Teela from Vermont will compete as an Olympic biathlete in his second straight Olympic games.  Spc Steve Holcomb and Spc. Shauna Rohbock from the Utah Army Guard have qualified for the men’s and women’s bobsled teams for the first time.  Both of them are drivers.  The head coaches for the men’s and women’s bobsled teams are also National Guard soldiers.  They are Spc. Tuffy Latour from Vermont and Spc Bill Tavares from New York.  “These five Olympians are outstanding examples of our National Guard people – Americans at their finest,” said Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.