Category: Idaho Army National Guard

When Kadyn Edwards was a freshman, she was feeling mentally down, failing some of her classes and wanting to turn her life around. Thinking “why not?” she registered for a new class at her high school, not knowing then it would change her life.

“I started taking the class because I was going through a lot at home and school, and just wanted to make a positive change,” said Edwards. “I ended up having an awesome experience and wouldn’t have made it this far without it. Now, I’m earning straight As in all my classes and was just accepted into college.”

The 11th grader at Twin Falls High School is one of nearly 200 ninth through 12 grade students at three high schools to participate in the Idaho Army National Guard-sponsored, and school-facilitated, Military Leadership program each year.

The program offers curriculum similar to Junior ROTC without the federal funding. Like JROTC, the program teaches students about military values, leadership, teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, drill and ceremonies, customs and courtesies and more.

It also uniquely offers students opportunities to serve communities through philanthropy projects, as well as experience military training and career opportunities with Idaho Army National Guard units during drill weekends.

Instructor Staff Sgt. Sarah Pak said Edwards is one example of how the program helps students improve their high school experiences, while also preparing them for their futures. In May, Edwards will complete her third year in Military Leadership, while also graduating high school one year early. After graduation, she plans to study criminal psychology at the College of Southern Idaho.

“The stressors of school can be a lot for kids to handle,” said Pak. “They are trying to figure out who they are and evolve into confident individuals ready to embark on the rest of their lives. I’ve seen this program help so many of them find their ways, even those who aren’t interested in the military, because it gives them somewhere to belong and something to be part of.”

Previously called Military Science, the program was first introduced at Mountain Home High School approximately 20 years ago and was later offered at Twin Falls High School in 2019 and at Canyon Ridge High School in 2021. In August, the Idaho Army National Guard will expand the program to Idaho Falls High School at the request of the school and is currently working to offer the program in Pocatello and northern Idaho.

“I’ve gotten a lot of support from the Idaho Guard and school districts that have really helped me grow the program in the last few years,” said Pak. “They’ve seen the positive impact it has had, not only on students and their families, but also their communities, the economy and Idaho.”

The classes are taught by Idaho Guardsmen who serve as full-time instructors of the program and who have earned their credentialing, approved by the Idaho State Board of Education, through the Army Basic Instructor Course on Gowen Field. They also meet school district requirements, including background checks and drug testing evaluations.

Command Sgt. Maj. Alice Randolph unofficially began her career in the U.S. Army when she was just 10 years old.

“My brother came back from basic training and taught us drill and ceremony, took us running with him and taught us inappropriate cadence,” said Randolph. “When I turned 17, neither of us hesitated when he said he was taking me to the recruiting office.”

Throughout childhood, her family home was a revolving door of foster system children. She recalls her brother, instead of playing “Simon Says,” leading “Drill Sergeant Says,” in which he’d teach her and their foster brothers and sisters cadence and facing movements.

Now, 34 years later, Randolph serves as the senior enlisted leader of the Idaho National Guard. While she chooses not to dwell on this fact, she is the first female in the organization to hold the position.

“If being the first female lets us stop talking about firsts, then that will mean something,” said Randolph. “This isn’t about me; it’s about showing Soldiers they have opportunities. I am honored to have been selected for the position based on my abilities and will do my best for the Soldiers and Airmen in our organization.”

Randolph enlisted into the Army Reserve in Nebraska as a medic in 1989. She moved to Idaho in the early 1990s to join the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s Charlie Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion.

She deployed to Iraq in 2004 with the company as an acting platoon sergeant. In 2010, she became the senior medical noncommissioned officer in charge of the IDARNG Medical Detachment.

Shortly after becoming Charlie Company’s first sergeant in 2014, Randolph participated in the 2015 Army’s Best Medic Competition. They were the competition’s first-ever, all-female team to participate and the Guard’s only team to compete that year.

“I’ve never striven to be in positions of higher-responsibility, only to use the positions I’d been placed in to better the organization,” said Randolph. “I would like to think I always had the organization in mind as I focused on doing my best in the position I was in at the time.”

As a part of the 116th CBCT, Randolph completed rotations at the National Training Center in 2015 as Charlie Company’s first sergeant and in 2019 as the 145th BSB’s CSM. She was Charlie Company’s first female 1SG and the battalion’s first female CSM. She was also the first female CSM to serve in the brigade.

In 2020, she served as the 204th Regional Training Institute’s command sergeant major until her selection as the IDNG’s senior enlisted leader.
As senior enlisted leader, she will serve the Idaho National Guard’s enlisted members by communicating directly with the state’s commanding general on their behalf and interpreting National Guard Bureau policy for implementation across the organization.

Though her brother left the service as her career was only beginning, his advice continues to inspire her. As an exchange student in Brazil, Randolph’s brother sent her a letter with a quote from Teddy Roosevelt. She’s held onto it and embodied it throughout her career:

“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”

Beads of sweat dripped down her face and collected at the bottom of her mask. Her firefighting suit and breathing apparatus were heavy and weighed her down. She crawled forward and pulled the 175-pound “dummy” another 20 feet. It was her third and final drag of the fire victim removal evaluation with only minutes left to complete the task.

“I just knew in my heart that firefighting was what I was meant to do,” said Idaho Army National Guardsman Pfc. Bailey Craig. “I didn’t give myself any other choice than to get through the evaluation and, ultimately, the academy.”

The evaluation is known by students and instructors as the hardest physical part of the fire academy, especially for a small woman like Craig who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 130 pounds.

“I heard the academy had a high fail rate and that females don’t really make it,” said Craig. “Everyone I met up to that point said, ‘you’re not really big, the dummies are and that’s going to be tough for you.’ I went into it with the mindset that I’m going to do it because there really is no other option.”

Craig, who joined the Idaho Guard in October 2021, passed the evaluation on her first attempt. She later became a class leader and graduated from the academy in December 2022. She now serves in the Idaho Army National Guard’s 937th Engineer Detachment and is the unit’s first female to earn the 12M firefighter military occupational specialty.

“I wasn’t aware that I was the unit’s first female qualified 12M firefighter until I got back from training,” said Craig. “I hope I’m not the last one. I hope I’m the first of several. It was tough but I got here, and if I can, then other females can too.”

The 68-day academy, located at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, is the only Department of Defense basic firefighting training academy in the country. During her training there, Craig learned basic firefighting fundamentals and earned certifications in airport firefighting, hazardous materials awareness, emergency medical response and more.

She said the course was fun, however, physically and mentally challenging.

“Prayer was big for me and going out there every day with a positive mindset,” said Craig. “I watched a lot of my friends fail out through the course and by the end of it, I was very used to being one of a few, if not the only, females left.”

In February, Craig attended her first training with the 937th Engineer detachment, where she met fellow Guardsman and learned to fine-tune some of the firefighting skills she picked up in the academy.

“Already after a few days at my first drill, I learned so much to help me become a better firefighter,” said Craig. “I’ve gotten a lot of hands-on training, like how to hold the fire hose nozzle a certain way for my weight. That’s a big one for me since I’m not very big myself. I’m having to learn things the way everyone else does but then tweak them a little to work for me because of my size.”

Despite her size, Craig said she became stronger in the academy, which helps her meet the physical demands of the job. Hard labor is something Craig said she is used to, having grown up working on her family’s ranch in Melba.

Born and raised in Melba, Craig spent her days working on the ranch, while also training horses, completing high school online and enjoying the outdoors.

After earning her high school diploma in 2020, Craig enrolled into the College of Western Idaho, where she is currently studying animal veterinary science. After she completes her associate’s program in May, Craig plans to study fire science and get a full-time job as a civilian firefighter.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to learn all different types of techniques in my Guard unit to help me become a better firefighter overall,” said Craig. “The guys here just know so much and are so helpful. I hope to become part of their family and a valuable member of their team, so I’m someone they can trust in any situation.”

Crystal Farris/Idaho Military Division Public Affairs

The Idaho Army National Guard’s 1st of the 148th Field Artillery Regiment conducted its first-ever live fire training and certification using the U.S. Army’s modernized M1156 Precision Guidance Kit during the battalion’s annual training in the Orchard Combat Training Center May 12 to 27.

“The Idaho Army National Guard continues to receive and train on some of the military’s most modernized equipment so we can remain relevant and ready to defend our nation’s interest anywhere in the world,” said Brig. Gen. Farin Schwartz, commander of the Idaho Army National Guard. “The Idaho Army National Guard is one of the most modernized states in the Army National Guard, with equipment that enhances our capability to be interoperable with our active-duty peers.”

The modernized GPS guidance kit with fuze functions and integrated GPS receiver weigh three pounds and attach to existing 155mm artillery shells, converting them to smart weapons for improved target trajectory. Small aerodynamic fins on the fuze allow the system to make flight adjustments of the round’s trajectory and steer the shell on target.

This enables the 1-148th FAR to more precisely deploy munitions within 30 meters of an intended target, as opposed to the average 50 meters of traditional artillery, increasing the battalion’s lethality, while decreasing its spending costs, said Lt. Col. Brady Johnson, commander of the 1-148th FAR.

“Being PGK certified greatly increases the lethality of the field artillery battalion,” said Johnson. “The modernized weaponry allows 18 separate targets to be simultaneously targeted and attacked at a third the cost of conventional missions with minimal clearance of fire issues.”

Traditionally, the battalion would attack three enemy targets with a battery-sized element and six M109A6 Paladins, each firing three rounds of ammunition for a total of 18 rounds. Johnson said it costs approximately $20,000 for 18 rounds of conventional 155mm ammunition, which may or may not hit an intended target, whereas a PGK costs $6,500 per kit and will.

A fail safe can also prevent the shell from exploding if it falls outside 150 meters of an intended target, enabling Soldiers to more confidently call-in artillery support close to their position and reduce the possibility of collateral damage, said Sgt. 1st Class Mike Taylor, 1-148th FAR master gunner.

Soldiers first received training on the PGK when the battalion traveled to Camp Guernsey, Wyoming for annual training in July 2021 but were unable to conduct live fire with the precision guided munitions. Soldiers again received training on the PGK’s capabilities before conducting several live fire missions, first with conventional rounds and then with the PGKs.

Over 80 rounds were fired, including more than 50 PGKs, helping ensure the battalion’s ability to successfully perform its warfighting mission and certify using the modernized precision guided munitions.

“With the new technological advancements of today, it’s vital for us to be modernized,” said Taylor. “The 1-148th is really good at what we do, but with the new PGK, we are even better, hitting targets with every single round. This type of weaponry is going to be crucial on the current battlefield.”

The 1-148th FAR employs fire to destroy, neutralize, suppress or shape enemy forces; provides fire support to maneuver in close combat and during counterattack to control land areas; and provides counterfire.

It is equipped with the M109A6 Paladins that fire 155mm artillery shells. Crews that operate the Paladin consist of four-man teams; a driver, a number one man, a gunner and a section chief.

The number one man is responsible for loading and firing the weapon, the gunner fuzes the round and cuts propellant powder, while the section chief manages all firing data and ensures the weapon is laid on target.

After 72 years, Pfc. Kenneth LeRoy Bridger was finally laid to rest and closure was given to his family during a full military honors graveside ceremony held in Twin Falls, Idaho, on May 21. Bridger was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, while serving alongside his fellow U.S. troops during the war against North Korea.

Bridger’s remains were identified on Jan. 26, 2022. Bridger was just 17 years old when he went missing and was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He enlisted into the U.S. Army from Colville, Washington, but many of his remaining family resides in Idaho where he was laid to rest next to his brothers and his mother. Bridger’s four living siblings, along with their families, attended the private ceremony.

“Every U.S. service member is committed to never leave a fallen comrade behind. It is in our creed,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, Idaho’s adjutant general. “Although it has taken over 70 years to return Pfc. Bridger from the battle fields of Korea, it is comforting to me and to all who serve to know that we fight for a country that will never give up in keeping that promise. It is an immense honor to be a part of this ceremony and return Pfc. Bridger home to his final resting place with his family.”

Garshak presented Wilber Bridger, Pfc. Bridger’s brother and oldest surviving relative, the U.S. flag and the Purple Heart on his brother’s behalf. Bridger’s brothers Lynn and Halbert “Lee” Bridger along with his sister, Florence Fiscus, received the U.S. flag from the Idaho National Guard. The four siblings also received POW/MIA flags from the National League of the POW/MIA Families and local POW/MIA Awareness Associations in his honor.

Bridger was also awarded the Army Good Conduct medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the Combat infantryman Badge, the United Nations Service Medal and the Republic of Korea-Korean War Service Medal.

The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group performed a flyover with two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and the Idaho National Guard joint honor guard performed taps and the folding of the flag presentation.

Members of the Twin Falls community, lead by veterans, came together to honor and escort Bridger’s remains when they arrived to Idaho on May 17 in Twin Falls. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Bridger was reported missing in action during the last night of his unit’s stand at the defensive perimeter south of the Pungnyuri Inlet on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.

Following an agreement between President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea returned approximately 55 boxes containing the remains of U.S. service members on July 27, 2018. The remains were taken to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and entered into the DPAA laboratory for identification. One of the 55 boxes contained Bridger’s remains.

According to the DPAA, more than 7,600 Americans are still unaccounted for from the Korean War. Bridger’s name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.