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Category: Idaho Army National Guard
Idaho Guardsman lifts her way to record-setting achievements
Story by Crystal Farris
Idaho Army National Guard
Idaho Army National Guardsman 1st Lt. Juanita “Christie” Goodrich’s road to fitness started in 2014 with a hankering for a mocha coffee, but also a desire to get in shape. She decided to run for the coffee instead of drive. The coffee-runs became a daily routine, motivating her to first run nine miles, then 12 and finally 20.
“At some point, I cut out the coffee part and was just straight running,” said Goodrich. “Or I’d grab a water at the coffee shop and keep running.”
Those runs were a defining moment in her life that eventually led her to become the athlete she is today and a six-time Idaho state championship winner in Olympic weightlifting.
However, it was only after developing shin splints that Goodrich found her passion in CrossFit and later Olympic lifting. Being homeschooled, she had never participated in competitive sports while growing up. CrossFit and Olympic lifting gave her an outlet, she said, to express her competitive side and make up for lost time.
“I had never done anything like that before but from the moment I entered the CrossFit gym I fell in love,” said Goodrich. “Pushing myself, going from being in the bottom of the group to the first one done with the workout of the day, was so much fun. I couldn’t get enough.”
While attending CrossFit, Goodrich learned about Olympic weightlifting. The sport involves two lifts, the snatch and the clean-and-jerk, which both require the athlete to lift a weighted barbell above their head in either one or two motions.
The lifts are difficult and require time to develop appropriate technique, Goodrich said, which is the part she enjoys most. She began training for competitions in 2017 and has since set multiple Idaho state records for the sport in her weight division.
“When I started doing those lifts and movements, I just loved them,” said Goodrich. “They are so technical and it takes so much time to learn, but it’s really fun competing and I’ve done well, so why not continue?”
In 2017, she took home first-place in the 53 kilogram (approximately 116 pound) weight division, setting state records for the snatch by lifting 69 kilograms and 84 kilograms in the clean-and-jerk. She also set the record for the total of both events by lifting a combined weight of 153 kilograms, winning overall best female lifter at the 2017 Idaho State Weightlifting Championships.
After taking a break from competing to have her first child, Goodrich returned to weightlifting in May. She competed again in August, setting the Idaho state records in the 49 kilogram weight class for the snatch, clean-and-jerk and the total, lifting 62 kilograms for the snatch, 75 kilograms for the clean-and-jerk and a total of 153 kilograms.
Two days later Goodrich found out she was pregnant with her second child. However, not ready to slow down, she competed again in October at the 2019 Idaho State Weightlifting Championships, where she took home best female lifter for the second time.
“I didn’t hit the numbers I have in the past,” said Goodrich. “But I’m pregnant and still got best female lifter, so I’m happy with my results.”
Her goal is to one day compete in a national-level event. Goodrich said having children has only postponed that goal, not changed it. She has qualified to compete in nationals twice and plans to qualify again after having her second child.
“I’ll always be pushing toward that goal because I want to have something my kids can be proud of me for and to show them what can be accomplished with hard work.”
Idaho Guardsmen serve together in childhood town as commander, first sergeant
Story by Crystal Farris
Idaho Army National Guard
Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers Capt. Robert Taylor and 1st Sgt. Derek Clemence share a similar past; they grew up in the small town of Mountain Home, Idaho, and both shipped off to basic training shortly after graduating from Mountain Home High School in 2002.
Approximately 18 years later, both Guardsmen were reunited in their childhood town to serve as commander and first sergeant of A Company, 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Mountain Home.
“It’s great to be part of a team so deeply rooted in the same town,” said Taylor. “That type of thing only happens in the National Guard and is what the Guard is all about; community, being tied to where you serve and serving with your neighbors.”
In October, Taylor took command of the company, which provides engineer support to the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team. Clemence became the company’s first sergeant one month later.
“I was excited to find out that Capt. Taylor is the commander of A Company,” said Clemence. “The unit being in our old hometown makes me feel closer to the community and gives me the perspective that we are now assets to the community from which we came.”
While Taylor enlisted into the Idaho Army National Guard as a paralegal specialist the day before he began his senior year of high school, Clemence enlisted into the organization’s military police platoon two-years later.
Both Soldiers came face-to-face for the first time since high school while on a deployment to Iraq in 2004 and did not see each other again for 10 more years.
“I had no idea Clemence was still in the Guard until about three years ago when my old unit was doing night training,” said Taylor. “He was giving the mission safety brief. I remember thinking how great it was that a guy I went to high school with had become a sergeant first class and was giving me the brief for a mission I was about to go on. Now he is my first sergeant.”
Clemence served as a military police sergeant for 13 years before he transitioned as an engineer to the 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion in 2016. Coming from a long line of veterans, Clemence knew serving was something he wanted to do since childhood, he said.
“I remember cleaning my old house one day and finding a journal from my fifth-grade English class,” said Clemence. “My teacher had me write about different daily topics. One topic was on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote that I wanted to join the military as my uncle did.”
Taylor, like Clemence, knew he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps by joining the military. His mother served in the active Air Force for 20 years and retired while stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Taylor joined the Guard rather than active duty as a means to pursue his military career while it paid for school.
“I joined the guard because I saw it as a way to attend law school and still pursue my military career,” said Taylor. “I was concerned that if I went on active duty right out of high school, I wouldn’t have the desire to go back to school later.”
After returning from deployment, Taylor commissioned as an engineer officer and earned an undergraduate in public relations from the University of Idaho. In 2013, he graduated law school and started a family law practice in Mountain Home.
Both Guardsmen will deploy together again in 2020 when the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team mobilizes to Europe for Defender 2020 in support of the largest deployment of U.S. based forces to Europe for an exercise in the last 25 years.
Idaho National Guard conducts engineer, medical and leadership exchange in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
Idaho National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in a subject-matter expert exchange Sept. 16–20 at the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations center with members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
The mission was part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program and included a team of four Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers and two 124th Fighter Wing Airmen. Subject-matter expert exchanges facilitate the exchange of ideas, capabilities, training and experience between a host country and a state’s National Guard.
“These exchanges provide a great opportunity for our Idaho Guardsmen to not only train along side Cambodian Soldiers, but to also learn and grow, both personally and professionally,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho.
Garshak and a small team of Idaho National Guardsmen also spent the week in Cambodia meeting with embassy officials and discussing ways to better collaborate across issues of defense cooperation.
Soldiers and Airmen spent the week training with members of Cambodia’s peacekeeping directorate who are preparing to deploy to several countries as part of the National Center for Peacekeeping, Mines, and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance program. More than 70 NPMEC Soldiers made up three groups consisting of engineer, medical and leadership engagements.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Tech. Sgt. Kelly Goodman. “Their ingenuity is through the roof.”
Throughout the week, Goodman and Lt. Col. Brandon Pieper, explored basic first aid and CPR techniques with NPMEC Soldiers.
Pieper, a traditional Guardsman and dentist from Boise, Idaho, said he volunteered to participate in the exchange to get outside of his comfort zone of providing dental exams during drill weekend. In addition, he wanted to work with members of the Idaho Army National Guard.
He said the experience gave him a similar perspective to deploying with the Army and having to form a team with people he doesn’t normally work with.
Engineer Soldiers from both armies worked together to build a 30-foot beam bridge over a creek to increase their shared understanding of bridging concepts. The bridge will allow future students at the PKO to access the facility’s helicopter pad faster.
“Working with the NPMEC Soldiers left me energized each day with their enthusiasm of learning,” said Maj. Steve Keeton, an engineer officer.
Soldiers also reviewed and practiced troop leading procedures, land navigation and basic leadership skills together.
The exchange occurred during the Cambodia’s Pchum Ben, a 15-day religious festival, which gave Soldiers and Airmen the chance to visit a nearby temple and experience the country’s culture firsthand. Idaho and Cambodia have participated in the State Partnership Program since 2009. Soldiers and Airmen from the Idaho National Guard conduct approximately four subject-matter expert exchanges in Cambodia each year.
Idaho Army National Guard prepares for new combat fitness test
Story by Crystal Farris
Idaho Army National Guard
In October, the new Army Combat Fitness Test will be introduced throughout its ranks. Within the following 12 months, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers are expected to complete one not-for-record ACFT before it becomes the official for-record test in October 2020.
To prepare, the Idaho Army National Guard is taking a deliberate but active approach to ease logistical concerns, limit injuries and ensure overall success, said Command Sgt. Maj. Scott White, State Command Sergeant Major.
“Currently we are in the crawl phase of this transition,” said White. “We want to approach this methodically to take the Soldiers’ uncertainty out of it and provide units a comfort level before they even start thinking about running a test.”
Over the last six months, master fitness trainers have demonstrated the new test for units throughout the state. The demonstrations offer Soldiers insight into expectations and how to accurately conduct the six-event test.
During a demonstration on Gowen Field August 3, Soldiers with the state’s Joint Forces Headquarters had the opportunity to attempt events and receive feedback on form and ways to achieve better results.
“I think it may have been a shock to some of our Soldiers that there is such a contrast in physical demands between the current Army Physical Fitness Test and the ACFT,” said 1st Sgt. Valerie Walts. “Once we attempted some of the events a lot of them were a bit surprised how draining performing the entire test in a timed setting is going to be.”
The new test events are the three-repetition maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, leg tuck and two-mile run. They require different techniques and body mechanics than the current three-event APFT does, explained Staff Sgt. Esteban Gonzalez, the state’s lead MFT. It also requires various types of equipment, unlike the APFT that requires none.
This fall, Idaho will receive approximately 800 lanes of equipment that include hexagon barbells, nylon drag sleds and medicine balls. The fielding will bring the Idaho Army National Guard into its walk-phase of the fitness transition by enabling it to conduct diagnostic tests and certify Soldiers who will be responsible for grading it.
However, there are ways individuals can train on their own now and with little to no equipment. Guidance on exercises, drills and sample training aids can be found at www.army.mil/acft. The website also offers other resources such as the Center for Army Lessons Learned Manual, an equipment list and a testing manual.
It is important Soldiers understand their current physical abilities and start training while there is still time, Gonzalez said. MFTs can provide Soldiers personal training advice and help units prepare by offering training plans and certifying graders.
“We strongly recommend using the MFTs and our demonstrations so that when it comes time to conduct the ACFT Soldiers are comfortable and ready,” he said. “MFTs are one of the best benefits available to Soldiers. As long as individuals are dedicated to showing up, the MFTs are willing to work with them.”
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Idaho Army National Guard’s best warriors – Barrera, Crockett
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
After three days of intense competition during the Idaho National Guard’s Best Warrior Competition, Sgt. Roy Barrera Jr. and Spc. Colton Crockett were recognized as the Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year.
Throughout the competition, four NCOs and 11 Soldiers from across the state competed in the event held at Gowen Field and the Orchard Combat Training Center Sep. 5-7.
“This competition is about the warrior spirit,” said Brig. Gen. Farin Schwartz, commander, Idaho Army National Guard.
Barrera Jr. and Crockett both serve in the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team. Barrera Jr. is in the brigade’s headquarters company and Crockett serves in the 2nd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment.
Sgt. Andrew Henson, also from 2-116 CAV REG, finished second in the NCO category. Sgt. Jordan Hudson and Cpl. Juan Campos also competed to be the state’s top NCO.
Spc. Alex Amour finished as the runner up for the Soldier category. Spc. Jonathon Ames, Pfc. Rodney Farichild, Spc. Jaslyn Greco, Prf. Connor Hensley, Spc. Isaac Morado, Pfc. Adam Nichols, Pfc. Nathan Rands, Pfc. Benjamin Rudolph and Spc. Dakota Woodwick also competed in the completion.
“These Soldiers are a great representative of the Idaho Army National Guard,” Schwartz said. “Their high level of physical fitness and mental fitness separates them from their peers.”
Competitors were tested on numerous Army Warrior Tasks, including their ability to disassemble and reassemble multiple weapons; land navigation at day and night; ruck marching; shooting; combatives; first aid and the Army’s new Army Combat Fitness Test. Competitors were stressed physically with little sleep to push them to their limits.
Idaho National Guard demonstrates joint capabilities to governor
Story by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur
124th Fighter Wing
Idaho Gov. Brad Little met with several key military leaders Aug. 19 at the Orchard Combat Training Center to receive an update on current Idaho National Guard programs and major upcoming events and exercises.
“It is critical that the governor, in his role as the commander in chief of the Idaho National Guard, takes the time to see the capabilities of our Soldiers and Airmen,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho. “It allows him to fully understand, firsthand, the issues that are relevant to our readiness.”
Senior leaders briefed the governor on unit training missions and deployment rotations, the F-35A Lighting II Environmental Impact Study, Idaho’s State Partnership Program with Cambodia, the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy dormitory project, A-10 Thunderbolt II modernization efforts, and current and future issues facing the Orchard Combat Training Center.
The OCTC plays a large role in the readiness and training of Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers and Idaho Air National Guard Airmen. During the governor’s visit, the Idaho National Guard highlighted the ways it ensures good environmental stewardship to protect and preserve the National Conservation Area of the OCTC, which includes the OCTC Fire Department’s quick response times.
“Our fire department has an extremely quick response time – less than two minutes,” said Lt. Col. Chris Borders, Idaho National Guard public affairs officer. “In return, we also have the smallest average number of acres burned in the NCA and a high concentrated area of native vegetation and monitored wildlife, due to our fire department and the Idaho National Guard biologists working to preserve this area.”
During a tour of the OCTC, Tactical Air Control Party Master Sgt. Douglas Brock from the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron called in air strike locations to A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots above to emphasize the capabilities of close air support with ground forces, similar to a deployed environment. This also highlighted to the key leaders the joint relationship between the Army and the Air National Guard working together in a combat situation.
“We are extremely fortunate here in Idaho to have Gov. Little embrace his duties as commander in chief and fully support the men and women of the Idaho National Guard,” said Garshak.
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Children of National Guardsmen “survived” summer camp
Story by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur
124th Fighter Wing
McCall, IDAHO – After a week away from their parents, 115 children of Idaho Army and Air National Guardsmen not only survived the “Survivor”-themed summer camp, they thrived. The event-filled camp was held Aug 12-16 and was designed to build resiliency and strength in youth of military families.
“This camp is a small token of our appreciation for these children,” said Brig. Gen. Farin Schwartz, assistant adjutant general-Army, Idaho Army National Guard. “We realize that we impact the lives of the youth and appreciate the sacrifice of each and every one of these children, and what they do to support their mom or dad when they are away.”
Idaho National Guard Child and Youth Programs invite children from families in the Idaho National Guard to a winter camp and a summer camp each year. This year’s summer camp theme was “Survivor – Camp vs. The Camper” held at Quaker Hill Camp in McCall.
Activities included archery games, art classes, creative STEM challenges, inner reflection classes, lakeside water activities, a peer pressure and stress management class, a ropes team-building course, team-building races, and a zip line confidence-building course.
“All activities here are fun, but they are based on strength and resiliency training,” said Lt. Col. Douglas Uphoff, IDNG family program director. “The parents of these children could be at risk for a deployment at any time. We are enabling the children to hopefully cope with the stress of their loved ones leaving.”
Older children had the opportunity to volunteer as teen leaders. The child and youth programs are designed with opportunities for youth to gain leadership skills, feel valued, and interact with their peers.
“I love this camp, I have made a lot of friends,” said Gabbie Barton, a participating child at the camp. “I have learned that I am strong.”
Many of these military children shared common experiences with each other during the activities and know each other from past events.
“This camp has been so fun and I learned a lot,” said Lillyan Lowery, whose mother serves in the Idaho Army National Guard. “I have made all of these new friends that I can hang out with after, like her, both of our moms are in the Army together.”
It doesn’t matter how long the deployment is, the goal is for campers to build networks including other children with a similar background. Children at the camp know that their newly bonded friends are also going through the same situation and might have similar issues.
“It’s not easy for children and spouses to have us be in the military,” said Schwartz. “But it is very necessary for us to go out and do what is needed in the defense of our nation.”
Employers had outreach opportunities with the two-day ESGR Boss Lift
IDAHO ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, UNITED STATES
Story by 2Lt. Crystal Farris
More than 100 National Guard and Reserve employers and supervisors traveled to Gowen Field from across the state today to participate in the Idaho ESGR’s annual Boss Lift.
The two-day event gives participants a first-hand look into what their Soldiers, Marines and Airmen do away from work approximately 36 days of the year for military training.
“We enjoy tremendous support from our employers and the ESGR throughout Idaho and we do not take that for granted,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho. “Boss Lift is a great opportunity to create awareness of our missions in the Idaho National Guard and Reserves and to express our appreciation to those employers and the community who contribute to our mission readiness.”
ESGR aims to promote, recognize and develop employer support for Guard and Reserve service through employer outreach opportunities. As part of Boss Lift, Citizen-Soldiers, Marines and Airmen invited their employers to walk a day in their boots touring various training simulators, Gowen Field and Orchard Combat Training Center facilities and ranges, aircraft and other military hardware used by the Idaho National Guard and Reserve units for training. Additionally, Idaho Army National Guard, US Army, Marine Reserve and Idaho Air National Guard representatives were available to answer questions from employers on machinery and provide insight into the life of a military member.
Wendy Lovitt, who supervises Airman Melynda Scheller in her nursing job at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, said Scheller was really excited to invite her to Boss Lift.
“Melynda really wanted me to come so I could see everything that goes on in her Guard life,” said Lovitt. “See felt like my seeing it and being around it all would better help me understand things then if she were to explain them herself. I definitely feel more connected to her lifestyle after today.”
Training simulators offered employers a fun look into how service members develop tactical and technical skills in combat operations from a controlled in-door environment. The tour included the 124th Fighter Wing’s A-10 Thunderbolt II and the Idaho Army National Guard’s M4 rifle and HMMWV simulators.
The Idaho Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion of the 183rd Assault Helicopter Battalion flew employers in UH-60 Black Hawks over the vast terrain and world-class military ranges of the Orchard Combat Training Center. For some passengers, it was their first time in a helicopter and for others it offered insight into the austere conditions service members train in throughout the year.
“It is important for employers to understand what their service members do when fulfilling their military commitments,” said Cindy Reese, ESGR state chair. “This event gives them the opportunity to see what their employees do in these times, how they do it and why.”
Idaho Army National Guard returns from Guatemala
Courtesy story
Idaho National Guard
Approximately 150 Soldiers from Idaho’s 1st Battalion of the 183rd Assault Helicopter Battalion returned home Saturday after deploying to Huehuetenango, Guatemala, in support of Beyond the Horizon 2019.
During the operation, Idaho Army National Guard aviation Soldiers provided casualty evacuation support and equipment transportation for U.S. military engineers and medics building local schools and medical clinics.
“We had the opportunity to change lives and be part of a mission that brought dramatic change to the economic growth of Huehuetenango,” said Maj. Bryan Reid, the unit’s operations and training officer. “The experience was life changing and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate.”
Soldiers from the unit consisting of crew chiefs, mechanics, petroleum specialists, signal specialists and supply personnel rotated through Guatemala in two-week rotations from April 28 to July 27. They completed 50 missions and 210 flight hours, to include transportation of 600 passengers and 9,000 pounds of cargo.
In addition, the Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers conducted joint training with soldiers from the Guatemalan Armed Forces. The training gave participants the opportunity to share skills and practice loading injured individuals into UH-60 Black Hawks.
“The training provided unique opportunities that challenged everyone throughout our missions,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 K Kirkendall, Idaho’s aviation training officer. “I’ve never experienced flying missions in an environment such as this and it will forever leave a mark on my career as a pilot.”
Beyond the Horizon is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, joint foreign military humanitarian civic assistance exercise. Hundreds of Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve members from all services participate annually to help build relations with the host nation.
Idaho Army National Guard Soldier plays Carnegie Hall
CPT Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
There’s an old joke that a couple on a New York City street once asked legendary classical violinist Jascha Heifetz how to get to Carnegie Hall. Without missing a beat or looking up, he replied with, “practice, practice, practice.”
After decades of practice, Idaho Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Micah Strasser found his way to the prestigious concert hall last week where he performed with the Millennial Orchestra July 12.
“It’s the number one recognized music venue in the country,” Strasser said. “As a musician, there’s no bigger venue to play. It wasn’t on my bucket list, but it’s far beyond my expectations as a musician.”
Strasser played in the Idaho Army National Guard’s 25th Army Band for 23 years until he left the band to become a signal warrant officer in 2017. He joined the Treasure Valley branch of the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras in 2015 because he wanted to keep playing.
“Music’s always been a part of me,” he said. “I like the creation of it and the group effort it takes.”
Strasser got into music when he was in middle school after he saw his uncle on TV playing the clarinet during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Strasser also played the clarinet but often found himself looking behind him to the band’s percussion section.
He said he was always drawn to the percussion instruments and tried out for the drum line entering high school. He has played percussion since and currently plays the timpani for the orchestra. A timpani is a kettledrum that provides bass to the orchestra as well as pitch, which drummers adjust using a foot pedal throughout the performance.
Strasser played the timpani during his performance at Carnegie Hall. The Millennial Choirs and Orchestras plays primarily classical music and is spread out in five states. More than 3000 members from multiple locations performed in New York City together over three separate performances.
“The music, which was religious in nature, was very powerful and brought the audience to its feet multiple times,” Strasser said. “It wasn’t even ever a thought in my mind that I would end up performing there someday, but I am so thankful I got the opportunity to do so.”
Before becoming a warrant officer, Strasser was a sergeant first class and the band’s rock band noncommissioned officer in charge. He was also the 25th Army Band’s audio engineer.
“Every time you get a new piece of music in front of you, you’re using your brain a lot,” he said. “Then in performance, you’ve got the pressure of all that going on. It’s an adrenaline rush when you’re playing something for an audience.”
In addition to playing in the Millennial Orchestra, Strasser also plays in seasonal orchestras in the Treasure Valley and played in the Boise State University’s Blue Thunder Marching Band for two years in college. During halftime of the team’s 1998 game against Utah State, Strasser proposed to his wife on the school’s famed blue turf.
In addition to playing in New York City Friday, Strasser and his wife spent a week in the city to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.