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Part-time Guardsmen eligible to receive full-time healthcare after retirement
BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES
03.14.2019
Story by Crystal Farris
National Guardsmen and their families do not have to struggle to afford healthcare and can stay medically insured after retirement. Those who serve 20 years or more in the National Guard are eligible to receive lifelong medical benefits for themselves and their families through various TRICARE health plans.
These plans offer quality care at affordable rates, making it one of the most valuable benefits available to Guardsmen and an important reason to stay in until retirement.
“TRICARE is one of the best reasons to stay in the National Guard for 20 years,” said Col. Jim Hicks, Idaho Army National Guard director of personnel. “With these benefits you have the potential to save hundreds and thousands of dollars when you reach retirement.”
At age 60, retirees and their families can expect to pay as little as $48 a month for TRICARE, whereas others pay a minimum of $1,000 a month for outside insurance, said William Fackler, Idaho National Guard retirement services officer. Then at age 65, retirees can expect to pay close to nothing for TRICARE, he added.
Several healthcare plans are available through TRICARE depending on the retiree’s age. Each plan offers little-to-no out-of-pocket costs, deductibles or premiums; low catastrophic caps and costs per family; and more freedom to choose healthcare with fewer restrictions.
“People don’t want to worry about medical bills after they retire,” said Fackler. “I’ve talked to lots of veterans who got out before 20 years and they all regret it. I tell folks to stick around because those benefits will be well worth it later on.”
Idaho Army National Guard retiree and Family Assistance Center Specialist Tom Obstarczyk knows first-hand the value of being a TRICARE beneficiary after he accidently sawed two of his fingers off in 2003.
“I was lucky,” said Obstarczyk. “My surgeon at St. Luke’s in Meridian was able to reattach my fingers and it cost me nothing through TRICARE. Where else can you receive full-time medical benefits as a part-time employee?”
Once retired, members can purchase TRICARE Retired Reserve from any age until 60. At that time, retirees may either chose TRICARE Prime Retired or TRICARE Select Retired, which recently replaced TRICARE Extra and Standard. At 65, retirees are no longer eligible for the previously mentioned health care plans but may then choose to enroll in TRICARE for Life.
TRICARE Retired Reserve
Upon retirement, members with 20 or more years of service are eligible to purchase TRICARE Retired Reserve for themselves and their family until they reach age 60. The premium-based health plan offers beneficiaries the option to receive care from any TRICARE-authorized provider for $451.51 a month per member or $1,083.40 a month to include unlimited family members, in addition to deductibles and a $3,598 catastrophic cap.
TRICARE Prime and Select, Retired
Retirees ages 60 to 64 are eligible to purchase TRICARE Prime Retired if living in a prime area or TRICARE Select Retired for themselves and their families.
TRICARE Prime Retired is a managed care option that offers affordable and comprehensive coverage with fewer out-of-pocket costs. Eligible members will receive care from a primary care manager and pay $24.75 a month, or $49.50 a month to include their family, with no deductibles and a $3,000 catastrophic cap.
TRICARE Select Retired is a preferred provider network that offers beneficiaries the most freedom to choose any TRICARE-authorized provider. There are no enrollment fees, however, deductibles are $150 for individuals and no more than $300 per family, with a $3,000 catastrophic cap.
TRICARE for Life
Retirees age 65 and older are eligible to enroll in TRICARE for Life, which is a secondary healthcare coverage for individuals with both Medicare Parts A and B. The program offers members and families the ability to receive care from any authorized provider with no enrollment fees, deductibles of $150 per individual and no more than $300 per family, with a $3000 catastrophic cap.
Medicare costs individuals approximately $135.50 a month and may not cover everything. With TRICARE for Life, beneficiaries typically pay nothing out-of-pocket for services TRICARE pays after Medicare, giving retirees the confidence to quite working sooner, said Fackler.
“People are out there working after age 65 because Medicare is only covering so much of their health costs,” said Fackler. “After retirees turn 65, TRICARE for Life gets billed. Nearly 99 percent of the time whatever Medicare doesn’t pay, TRICARE does so that beneficiaries never see a bill.”
Additionally, retired Guardsmen and their families are eligible for TRICARE’s pharmacy program and various dental and vision healthcare plans.
TRICARE Pharmacy Program
All current TRICARE beneficiaries are eligible to use the TRICARE Pharmacy Program to receive affordable prescription drugs either through retail pharmacies or by a home delivery option. Using Express Scripts, individuals can receive a 90-day supply of medication at home for small copayments of $7 for generic or $24 for name brands.
Dental and Vision Coverage
Retired Guardsmen now have comprehensive dental and vision coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, which replaced the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program in January 2019. With this new program, beneficiaries may choose between 10 dental and four vision carriers, ranging in price between $40 and $120 a month depending on the plan. Coverage for vision includes routine eye exams, vision corrections without referral and eyeglass frames and lenses.
“Before this new program took effect, Guardsmen had no vision care option and only one available dental plan through TRICARE,” said Fackler. “Now beneficiaries have more options, which is important because not every dental provider took TRICARE.”
TRICARE Young Adult
While adult-children of current-serving Guardsmen are eligible for TRICARE health coverage until age 21, or age 23 if they are enrolled in college, those of retired Guardsmen are entitled to coverage until age 25. With TRICARE Young Adult Prime, beneficiaries receive care through a primary care manager and pay $358 a month, with no deductibles.
With TRICARE Young Adult Select, beneficiaries have the option to receive care using any TRICARE-authorized provider for $214 a month, with deductibles ranging between $51 and $154 per individual and between $102 and $308 per family, depending on a retiree’s rank. Both plans have catastrophic caps of $3,598.
Until Retirement
While TRICARE benefits after retirement may provide Guardsmen a reason to stay in the Guard for 20 years, another TRICARE health plan offers members a reason to stay in until 60.
Current members and their families are eligible to receive TRICARE Reserve Select, which offers lower healthcare rates than TRICARE Retired Reserve and comparable rates to TRICARE Retired Select.
“Soldiers are staying in the military for TRICARE Reserve Select,” said Fackler. “They would spend approximately $800 or more a month on other health plans if they got out before age 60.”
The premium-based health plan offers beneficiaries the option to receive care from any TRICARE-authorized provider for $42.83 a month or $218.01 a month to include their family. Deductibles range between $51 and $102 per individual or between $154 and $308 per family, depending on a member’s current rank, with a $1,028 catastrophic cap.
Preparing for Retirement
To receive benefits, retirees must enroll online for each TRICARE health plan prior to their age of eligibility at www.tricare.mil. Enrollment assistance is available through the Idaho National Guard’s Retirement Services Office at (208) 272-3815 and the Family Assistance Center at (208) 272-4330 or (208) 272-4355. Individuals can also find further information on retirement, transitioning and eligibility by visiting the previously mentioned website and services or by contacting the Idaho National Guard Retiree Outreach Program at (208) 258-4910.
Female armor officers prepare to lead Idaho Soldiers into combat
BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES
02.19.2019
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s B Company, 2-116th Cavalry Regiment conducted gunnery Feb. 8-15 at the Orchard Combat Training Center, marking the first time female armor officers qualified in the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank in the Idaho Army National Guard’s history.
2nd Lt. Brooke Berard and 2nd Lt. Lauren Bolt graduated from the U.S. Army’s Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course Feb. 1 before returning to Idaho and accompanying their company to the field to conduct gunnery.
“After seeing the Abrams tank, I didn’t feel like I had another option,” Berard said. “Once I saw the tank’s power, that’s all I wanted to do.”
Both lieutenants will serve as platoon leaders for B Company, which is located in Nampa. As platoon leaders, each Soldier will command a platoon of up to 14 Soldiers and four Abrams.
Berard and Bolt are the first qualified combat arms female officers in the Idaho Army National Guard’s history. They follow other Idaho Army National Guard female Soldiers into the combat ranks since females were permitted to serve in all positions in the military in December 2015.
In 2016, 1st Sgt. Erin Smith became the first enlisted Soldier in the U.S. Army to graduate from the service’s M1 Armor Crewman School. In 2017, Staff Sgt. Kylene Huetra became the first female assigned to the 2-116th Cavalry Regiment as a tank crew member. She was recently reassigned as B Company’s supply sergeant.
Sgt. 1st Class Melanie Galletti graduated from the Infantry Transition Course in April 2017, becoming the first female Soldier in the state’s history to earn the Army’s blue infantry cord. She served as a squad leader in C Company, 2-116th Cavalry Regiment until she was reassigned to a position in a different company and subsequently promoted.
“I don’t care if you’re male or female,” said Lt. Col. Jason Gracida, commander, 2-116th CAV REG. “I care if you’re a good leader and Soldier. At the end of the day, you’re going to lead Soldiers into combat. I need to know if you’re a capable officer.”
Both junior officers know and understand their role on the battlefield.
“We close with and destroy the enemy with shock, mobility and firepower,” said Berard. “Not only do you have this firepower, you also have to make choices quickly.”
The M1A2 Abrams main battle tank is the Army’s most advance battle tank.
“When we get together and put rounds down range, and begin to maneuver as an element, there’s nothing more exhilarating,” Bolt said.
Bolt served as an 88M motor transport operator with the Nevada Army National Guard before transferring to the Idaho Army National Guard to become an armor officer. Both her parents also served in the military.
Gunnery tables often mean long days, with mechanical issues and winter weather causing delays, adding to the stress for new lieutenants conducting gunnery for the first time.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like work,” Beard said. “You’re tired but it’s so much fun.”
IDNG quake response exercise flexes multiagency response muscle
BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES
03.19.2019
Story by Master Sgt. Sarah Pokorney
Joint Force Headquarters, Idaho National Guard
A team of personnel from the Washington National Guard’s 10th Homeland Response Force, dressed in tan protective suits enters a partially collapsed building in search of possible survivors. The damage to the building and potential deadly argon gas contamination is the result of a catastrophic earthquake and jolting aftershocks affecting southern Idaho. Across town, in a dark, cramped room deep within the Lucky Peak Dam, Guardsmen of the Idaho 101st Civil Support Team assemble a rescue tripod over a dark utility hole to rescue workers trapped hundreds of feet below.
These are just a few of the hundreds of disaster scenarios that played out over the week-long Idaho National Guard disaster response exercise, Idaho Response-19, that took place March 7 to 13 in Boise, Idaho.
More than 350 Guardsmen took part in the exercise. Nearly 80 were Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers and Idaho Air National Guard Airmen, including the 101st Civil Support Team, Joint Staff assigned to Idaho’s Joint Operations Center, white cell planners, observers and personnel orchestrating Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration, or JRSOI, for inbound organizations. Nearly 250 participants came from surrounding states including Guardsmen from the Washington’s 10th HRF, Montana National Guard’s 83rd CST, and Utah National Guard’s 85th CST. Representatives from U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau joined the Joint Taskforce Idaho staff.
The purpose of the Idaho Response-19 exercise was to test the Idaho National Guard’s ability to interact with regional partners and support civil authorities and agencies during a no-notice, catastrophic disaster. The scenario was designed to overwhelm an otherwise prepared state.
“When we started planning in early 2017, we envisioned an exercise of such magnitude that it would drive objectives we’ve never performed in a domestic response before,” said Col. Doug Smith, exercise director. “It would include seeking National Guard capabilities outside of the state like the 10th Homeland Response Force and civil support teams, require us to JRSOI incoming resources and stand up a dual-status commander to receive Title 10 forces.”
“I didn’t want to make too many factors notional, so we could really go through the motions as we would in a real response. The joint staff came in piecemeal as they would in a real incident—because they would be victims too,” said Smith. “The staff struggled at first but exceeded my expectations as they tracked both simulated and notional activities.”
The exercise was engineered to challenge the participants in a variety of ways. Day one started with a high volume of incidents overwhelming local first responders and testing participants’ communication skills and established processes. Day two brought fewer but more complex scenarios, which required more specialized response capabilities and taxed decision-making and prioritization skills. As the exercise progressed, the highly complex situations required focused working groups and multi-agency collaboration. The exercise culminated with a significant infusion of notional federal resources, which brought the exercise to a timely end.
“Some of the biggest lessons learned included our coordination with the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and how to support them as well as the process that the joint staff developed to effectively respond to situations as they rolled in,” said Col. Ryan Robinson, exercise chief of joint staff.
Robinson explained that the 18 months of preparation for the exercise included quarterly joint staff training, practical exercises, sending observers to Vigilant Guard exercises in other states and a visit to U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
Smith noted that the Idaho National Guard plans to hold another similar exercise in 2022 that will align with the Washington and Oregon Vigilant Guard Exercises, NORTHCOM’s Ardent Sentry and FEMA’s Cascadia Rising, which are based on a scenario following an earthquake and tsunami in the highly probable Cascadia Subduction Zone. Dubbed “The Big One,” this widespread incident is predicted to unleash a 9.0+ magnitude earthquake and a 100 foot-tall tsunami affecting the bulk of the Pacific coast shoreline and western states.
Smith went on to explain that key to maintaining our preparedness is by keeping leadership and the joint staff engaged while continuing to refine the planning and training. “The joint staff needs to stay engaged, which can be challenging as an additional duty, but we’re on a good path.”
The exercise followed the Idaho Office of Emergency’s Management’s three-day exercise, Operation Shared Response, which focused on the same scenario the week before. That exercise included local, state and federal responders. Both exercises ensure that the Idaho Military Division remains capable to respond during a real-world emergency or disaster.
Nearly a third of Middleton Police Department police officers serve in Idaho Army National Guard
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
Capt. Haily Barley sees a lot of similarities between her job as a police officer for the Middleton Police Department and her service to the Idaho Army National Guard.
“I’m pushed to my limits, both physically and mentally, at both jobs,” she said. “But the best part is the people. You’ll never meet more amazing people dedicated to helping or serving.”
Barley should know about the type of people who do both. Out of the eight officers in the Middleton Police Department, three are members of the Idaho Army National Guard.
“I’m pretty proud to have those guys on our police department,” said Alan Takeuchi, chief of the Middleton Police Department. “Not only are they serving their community in their civilian jobs, we also have guys serving their country. We couldn’t ask for better officers at our police department.”
Barley, one of the department’s two school resource officers, is a signal officer with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Capt. Mike Barley, is the 2-116th Combined Arms Battalion’s personnel officer and serves the department as a team lead and field training officer. The two were married in 2010 and hired by the department together in 2016.
Sgt. First Class Nathan Hilkey has similar jobs in both organizations. He’s a police officer and is assigned to the Installation Support Unit’s military police section.
“A lot of what Guard Soldiers possess are the same qualities we look for in police officers,” Takeuchi said. “I think the two go hand-in-hand with each other.”
Specifically, Takeuchi values the experience, confidence and leadership skills his Soldiers bring to his police force. He knows those qualities aren’t developed in police officers overnight.
The department was established in 2014 with a part-time police chief and three officers. Today its staff consist of eight fulltime officers, one clerk and a part-time clerk. Takeuchi expects the department to continue to grow with the town’s population. As it does, his Soldiers’ leaderships skills will be useful as the department grows to include captain and lieutenant positions.
In the meantime, Mike Barley said he enjoys being able to do a little bit of everything in the department without formal divisions and sections. He initially decided to become a police officer in 2011 because he needed a job before attending medical school. He said he liked being a cop so much he decided to forego becoming a doctor, even after being accepted into medical school.
Hilkey was one of the officers Mike Barley trained in the department. Hilkey grew up in Middleton and returned home to take a job with the department two years ago.
“I came back here to try to keep the city the way I remember it,” he said.
He grew up wanting to be a police officer because almost everyone in his family was a police officer. He’s been a 31B military police Solider for the past 18 years and has deployed four times with Army National Guard units from multiple states.
Takeuchi said the only challenge of having almost a third of his department in the Idaho Army National Guard is scheduling overtime. He said officers don’t mind covering to help each other out, but the overtime required to make it work can add up quickly for the small department.
Takeuchi admits that a long-term deployment for one or more of his officers would present additional challenges. However, none of the three Soldiers have been deployed long-term while working for the department.
“We’d hate to lose someone for that long, but we understand that they are needed for a higher purpose,” he said. “We would hold their spot no matter what.”
Haily Barley credits her great grandmother for instilling the values of hard work, sacrifice and service into her. She knew when she was younger she wanted to be both a police officer and in the military. She feels fortunate she’s able to do both.
“I chose a hard and sometimes thankless life style, but every day I can serve and protect, it’s worth it,” she said.
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ASOS Airmen Preparing and Training for State Emergency Response
BOISE AIR TERMINAL AIR GUARD STATION, ID
03.08.2018
Story by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur
CASCADE, Idaho – Envision a scenario where the crash of an avalanche has left several people missing, or you are skiing in the mountains and lose sight of your buddy. Visualize it’s you that is lost off-trail, hoping to be rescued, waiting for the sound of helicopter blades pulsating in the air or the sound of voices ahead. This is the mission of search and rescue teams – to find you.
In an effort to begin rescue missions with civilian and state entities, Idaho’s 124th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) conducted its first-ever training event that involved approximately 70 civilians from local rescue teams in Cascade, Idaho, March 1-4, 2018. The goal for this integrated training was to take the skills used in the federal mission and apply those capabilities for the Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA).
“I feel like we are moving into a domestic operations concept. We’ve been at war for a long time, we’ve been deploying for a long time, we want to enlarge our footprint,” said 1st Lt. Jason Waites, 124th ASOS, officer in charge of operations. “We want to roll into the DSCA and establish the ASOS as a state entity.”
The Idaho Air National Guard’s ASOS, specifically the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Airmen, have endured intense physical, mental and technical training. They are experienced in extensive outdoor training, survival skills, Rough Terrain Evacuation Course, Wilderness First Responder training, and mountain warfare. Additionally, they have the equipment available for helping with search and rescue missions.
“This training for us is like a proof of concept that we will be able to advertise our capabilities to the state, that this is what we have the ability to do. When that emergency goes out, we can come to help. TACPs from neighboring states have pre-packaged communications systems set up and have helped with mudslides and fires because of the night vision and thermal capability of finding people in the dark,” said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Furman, chief enlisted manager of ASOS. “These other states have coordinated helicopter landing zones, helped with post hurricane and flood response already. Although we haven’t been called upon yet, we just want to make sure we are ready for when the call comes.”
The goal of this joint engagement was to work alongside civilian authorities during avalanche rescue training, snowmobile training, sling load training, and stretcher hoist rescue training, along with the Idaho Army National Guard 1-183rd Aviation Battalion’s UH-72 Lakota Rescue Helicopter.
“We weren’t really aware, until today, how accessible you guys [ASOS] were,” said Dan Corsberg, Garden Valley Fire Department. “To know it could be an hour, hour and a half, for you guys to be on scene. That really does change the equation for us, a lot. That has been the biggest take-away for us with this training.”
Local civilian search and rescue teams present for this joint training included: the McCall Police Department, McCall Fire Department, Cascade Fire Department, Donnelly Fire Department, Garden Valley Fire Department, Valley County Search and Rescue, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Sheriff’s Offices, Bogus Basin Ski Patrol, Brundage Ski Patrol, Tamarack Ski Patrol, Idaho Fish and Game, and the U.S. Forest Service.
The training was focused on everything from search and rescue, to command and control, to effectively testing communications. When it comes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there are Emergency Support Functions (ESF). ESF number nine is search and rescue related, and ESF number two is communications. This exercise effectively tested command and control with air-to-ground and ground-to-ground communications.
“These guys know what they are doing, and it’s been great. We are all learning from each other. This is an incredible opportunity,” said Jim Pace, Valley County Search and Rescue.
Brig. Gen. John Goodale retires
BOISE, Idaho
Jan. 31, 2018
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
Brig. Gen. John Goodale, Assistant Adjutant General – Army and commander of the Idaho Army National Guard, is retiring after spending four decades serving his state and nation. Goodale has served in the military since 1976 and in the Idaho Army National Guard since 1988, including the past five as the organization’s senior Army officer.
During the past five years, the Idaho Army National Guard has undergone several changes to remain among the most equipped and professional fighting force in the nation. Units in the organization also deployed and completed historical missions under Goodale’s command.
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit,” Goodale said, quoting President Harry S. Truman.
The 116th Calvary Brigade Combat Team, the state’s largest unit, returned from its second deployment to Iraq in 2011. Since then, the unit has transitioned to the modern M1 Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The brigade was the first National Guard brigade to be fielded with this equipment. The brigade’s special troops battalion converted to an engineer battalion, and its field artillery battalion restructured to add additional guns and personnel to its ranks.
In 2015, the 116th CBCT became the first National Guard brigade since 9/11 to attend the Army’s largest force-on-force training center, the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. More than 2,500 Soldiers from Idaho and an additional 1,700 Soldiers and Airmen from 17 other states supported the brigade’s training mission. The following summer, the brigade was the lead element in Saber Guardian 2016 in Cincu, Romania. The multinational military training exercise involved 2,800 military personnel from 10 countries. The exercise was the first time a National Guard armored brigade deployed to Europe since the end of the Cold War.
The 1-183rd Aviation Battalion (Attack) transitioned several times since 2012. First, the aviation battalion received the latest attack helicopters, the AH-64D Apache Longbow, and then transitioned to the UH60 A/L Black Hawk helicopter. So far the transition has left the aviation battalion with more aircraft than it previously had and provides a unit that can better assist in the execution of the Idaho Army National Guard’s state mission to respond to state and local emergencies.
In addition, more than 60 Soldiers from A Company, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012-2013.
Goodale’s development of a strategic plan was instrumental in addressing strength, training, and readiness initiatives like the Idaho Army National Guard Public Affairs cell and Comprehensive Fitness Program that were needed to improve the strength and readiness in the Idaho Army National Guard.
Finally, the Orchard Combat Training Center has grown considerably during the past five years. Active Duty and National Guard units from around the country train at the site.
The Idaho Army National Guard has continued to develop the facilities and increase the number of Soldiers who train and work on the training range. The OCTC’s infrastructure and facilities have both improved and expanded vastly during the past five years and are expected to continue to do so over the next several years. The training site will continue to become more valuable to the Army National Guard as it continues to increase its operational tempo.
Goodale’s career path to the organization’s commander began at West Point and is filled with opportunities from some of the Idaho Army National Guard’s most challenging positions.
The United States Military Academy
Goodale’s career in the military started with his education at the United States Military Academy in July 1976, the same year the first class of female cadets attended the academy.
“The Academy teaches you to treat everyone with respect and dignity and they were no different,” Goodale said. “They were all cadets like I was a cadet and had to do the same things I had to do.”
119 female cadets were among the first co-ed class to attend West Point after President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation in 1975 directing the Army, Navy and Air Force academes to admit females. 62 females graduated in Goodale’s class.
Goodale remembers West Point for its hard academics, good friends, and home football games on Saturday. Because the Academy is small and cadets live on campus, cadets get to know each other well over their four years at the school.
Goodale still stays in touch with some of his classmates and follows the careers of others.
Giebelstadt, Germany
After graduating West Point in 1980, Goodale became an armor officer. Aviation wouldn’t become its own branch until 1983, but he was selected to attend flight school before graduation. He attended Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, airborne school at Fort Bragg, and air assault school at Fort Campbell before attending flight school at Fort Rucker. At flight school, he became qualified on both the A and the C models of the OH-58 via the aeroscout track.
Goodale’s first assignment was in 1981 to A Company, 3rd Aviation Battalion (Combat), 3rd Infantry Division in Giebelstadt, Germany, as an aeroscout team leader. While there, he flew along the air defense identification zone, which required him to fly an exact pattern along the German border.
He was also assigned to the general support platoon, which was responsible for flying 3rd Infantry Division general officers around the country.
“That was a tough mission because you never wanted to screw that up,” he said.
He eventually became the operations officer for the company. At the time, each company resembled a battalion. His company had 45 helicopters, compared to the six to eight aircraft in today’s aviation companies.
While there, Goodale met his wife, Elisabeth. The two have four children and one granddaughter.
In 1985, Goodale left Germany to attend aviation officer advanced course and was then assigned as the operations officer in Air Troop, 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment with the Idaho Army National Guard on Gowen Field. The Army used to assign active duty aviation and engineer officers to National Guard units.
In 1989, Air Troop became the 1-116 Aviation and later, the 1-183 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion.
This transition from an Air Cavalry Troop to a battalion created the need to hire additional staff officers. Goodale was selected to become the unit’s assistant operations officer in December 1988.
Idaho Army National Guard
To accept the Army Guard/Reserves (AGR) position, Goodale had to resign from the active component and be re-commissioned into the Idaho Army National Guard.
Goodale said that his decision to leave the active component wasn’t met well by his current Army leadership, but he did so because he didn’t want to have to move his children around and he liked being in the Pacific Northwest. He has no regrets about doing so.
Goodale played a key role in the unit’s transition to an attack aviation battalion as the assistant operations officer and later the operations officer, but left the unit before the unit completed the Apache Battalion certification at Fort Hood, Texas. His next assignment was as the training officer in the deputy chief of staff of operations directorate, which is comparable to working in today’s G-3 (operations) section.
In 1996, he was assigned to the 116th Calvary Brigade in anticipation of the unit’s rotation through the National Training Center in 1998. He was the brigade’s operations officer and managed the exercise’s budget for the state. The 116th Calvary Brigade was one of the first National Guard units to deploy to the Army’s largest force-on-force training center.
“I basically got a cot,” he said, an indication of the long hours he put into learning the job. “I didn’t grow up in a brigade. I didn’t know things like how many tanks were in the brigade, but I had the ability to maneuver and control because I did a lot of that in aviation.”
During the battles at the National Training Center, Goodale had to monitor several radios and know which ones to respond to when. He credits his time in the cockpit in Germany for the success he had in being able to do so.
Goodale said that his experience as the operations officer for the NTC rotation set him up for success for the rest of his career, but first he would spend a year at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, before continuing his career.
“You have to take the hard jobs if you want to move up.”
At the conclusion of the National Training Center rotation, Goodale flew straight to the Army War College, where his family was already waiting for him.
“It was awesome,” he said. “They tell you it’s one of the best years of your life, and it’s right up there.”
Goodale said he met a lot of good people there and enjoyed the extra time with his family. In addition, he learned a lot from the school that provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officers.
He became the deputy chief of staff, operations (G3/J3), when he returned home and held this position until March 2005. This position put him in charge of operations at the state level for the organization.
He left this position to become the interim Assistant Adjutant General-Army, Idaho National Guard while the 116th Calvary Brigade was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.
When the unit returned, Brig. Gen. Alan C. Gayhart assumed the Assistant Adjutant General-Army position and Goodale took command of the 116th Calvary Brigade. Gayhart commanded the brigade in Iraq.
In 2008, Goodale was the joint task force commander for the World Special Olympics, held in Boise in 2009.
“It was a big undertaking, but it went well,” he said.
His next assignment was as the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for the state until 2012, when he was promoted to brigadier general into his final position as commander of the Idaho Army National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General-Army.
He said his experience as the commander of the 116th Calvary Brigade, the Idaho National Guard’s largest unit, helped prepare him for the challenges and opportunities he faced as commander of the Idaho Army National Guard.
“The organization did a good job moving me around to prepare me,” he said. “You have to take the hard jobs if you want to gain experience and move up.”
Though Goodale originally planned to retire as a lieutenant colonel and has since surpassed that rank, there are still two things that he didn’t get to do in his career that bother him: he never got to be the 1-183rd battalion commander or deploy to a combat zone.
Goodale plans to spend his retirement catching up on several delayed projects at home, spending time with his family, traveling and coaching his granddaughter’s basketball team.
After some time off, he plans to eventually volunteer in some capacity, but does not anticipate working again, including any civilian military positions.
“The Army keeps rolling along,” he said. “Old Soldiers just fade away.”
His advice to other Soldiers as he ends his career is similar to the lessons he learned at West Point at the start of it.
“Treat everybody fairly and with respect,” he said. “No matter what ranks they are. And you have to maintain a positive attitude no matter what’s going on. It really shows up when you’re around Soldiers when you don’t have a positive attitude. Set the Example in all you do or say.”
Snow Bash brings Idaho National Guard children together
Snow Bash 2018 brings Idaho National Guard children together, builds resiliency.
BOISE, IdahoJan. 31, 2018
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
The Idaho National Guard’s Child and Youth Services program hosted Snow Bash 2018 in mid-January to bring military children from around the state together in one place, Cascade, Idaho.
“A lot of this is teaching resiliency training to military kids so they know how to cope with deployments and know that there’s a support system always there for them,” said Katie Kohlbecker, whose dad serves in the Idaho Army National Guard.
During the four-day camp, military children spent time with other military children, playing games that encourage team building and leadership skills while participating in lessons in small groups that reinforce resiliency using lessons that fit the camp’s theme, which was Beyond Camp Wonderland.
“I really like it, it’s fun,” Elijah Maisey said. “Everyone is the same because we all have parents in the military. It’s different than interacting with kids at school because most kids at school don’t have parents in the military and don’t know what it’s like to have a parent gone.”
Masiey, whose dad serves in the Idaho Army National Guard, said his dad has only deployed once in his life but has traveled often throughout the country for his job.
Several key Idaho National Guard leaders visited the camp, including Col. Farin Schwartz, assistant adjutant general – Army/commander, Idaho Army National Guard; Col. Britt Vanshur, director of staff, Idaho Air National Guard; and Chief Master Sgt. Harold Bongiovi, state senior enlisted leader.
“It’s so rewarding for me to hear what this program has to offer,” Schwartz told campers. “It’s rewarding to see the development of the older kids who have transitioned from campers, to counselors to chaperons.”
Children enrolled in the Idaho National Guard Child and Youth Services program can attend the annual camp starting when they are 10. They are eligible to be a camp counselor at 14 if they’ve attended two camps previously and can become a chaperone at 18.
“I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am today without this program,” Kohlbecker said. “It’s taught me I have friends and support all over the state. It’s taught me to become a strong and influential leader, not only with the military kids here, but also taking those skills outside of here, whether it’s my school or other positions I hold.”
Kohlbecker has attended at least 10 camps and is the state’s alternate representative, the number two youth leader in the program. In addition, she also serves as her student council’s secretary.
The program’s next youth camp will be in June.
Col. Scott Sheridan assumes command
BOISE, Idaho
Jan. 8, 2018
Story by Capt. Robert Taylor
Idaho Army National Guard
The Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team held a change of command ceremony Jan. 7 on Gowen Field to signify the transfer of authority between outgoing commander Col. Farin Schwartz and the incoming commander, Col. Scott Sheridan.
Schwartz assumed command of the state’s largest unit in March 2016. He said that his time as the brigade’s commander flew by.
“I’m thankful for the dedication and hard work of the Soldiers who made the last two years the highlight of my career,” Schwartz said.
Under Schwartz’s command, the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team participated in several operations across the world and underwent a transition that saw the brigade grow by several hundred Soldiers and incorporate a unit from the Nevada Army National Guard.
In the summer of 2016, the brigade participated in Saber Guardian 2016, a multinational military training exercise that involved 2,800 military personnel from 11 countries in Cincu, Romania. More than 1,100 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers participated in the exercise, which involved using trains, ships and convoys to move more than 500 pieces of equipment to the training site, more than 9,000 miles away from Boise.
Among other exercises, the unit also participated in Maple Resolve, the Canadian Army’s premier brigade-level validation exercise in Canada; Keris Strike 2017 in Pahang, Malaysia; and Key Resolve in South Korea.
Domestically, the brigade participated in staff exercises at Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside of Tacoma, Wash., and at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
In addition, the brigade’s engineer battalion spent last summer at Fort Hood, Texas, providing opposing forces in support of the 278th Armored Brigade Combat Team’s eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation. The task force provided opposing forces that allowed the Tennessee Army National Guard unit to train against a capable near-peer force.
The brigade’s 2016 reorganization brought updated equipment and 200 additional positions for Idaho Soldiers and expanded the unit’s footprint into Nevada.
The 2-116th Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Caldwell, transitioned from an armored reconnaissance squadron to a combined arms battalion; the Magic Valley’s 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion reorganized into the 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion and added a forward support company in Jerome and a second engineer company in northern Idaho; and in eastern Idaho, the 1-148 Field Artillery Battalion added an additional firing battery.
The Nevada National Guard’s 1-221st Cavalry Regiment and the 777th Forward Support Company also joined the brigade.
The brigade now consists of more than 4,000 Solders in nearly 20 Idaho communities and four states, as Montana and Oregon each contribute a combined arms battalion to the brigade.
“It’s not what I did,” Schwartz said. “It’s what we did across four states.”
Sheridan previously served in the brigade as the commander of the 2-116th Cavalry Regiment from January 2016 to February 2017. His last assignment was the director of operations, Idaho Army National Guard,
before he assumed command of the brigade.
Sheridan has served in the Idaho Army National Guard since 1997. He enlisted into the Oregon Army National Guard in 1987 and commissioned as an armor officer in 1990 after graduating from Eastern Oregon State University’s ROTC Program.
“It’s an enormous responsibility to ensure every member of the organization is always preparing for the future,” Sheridan said. “It’s also critical to ensure every member of the brigade understands that they are just as important as the Solider to their left or right and that we watch out for each other.”
Schwartz will now serve as commander, Idaho Army National Guard/Assistant Adjutant General – Army as Brig. Gen. John Goodale prepares for retirement.
Public Safety Communications and IT Services Division manages state emergency radio System
MORE THAN JUST COMMUNICATIONS
BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES
03.19.2018
Story by 2nd Lt. Crystal Farris
The Idaho Army National Guard recently signed an agreement with the Idaho Military Division’s Public Safety Communications and Information Technology Division that establishes a maintenance plan for the long-term sustainment of a microwave radio system for its Orchard Combat Training Center. The agreement will go into effect beginning April 1 with the purchasing and installation of multiple microwave radio sites across the training center.
The agreement comes at a perfect time, establishing a new and up-to-date communication system necessary for the training center’s planned growth and increased use during the Idaho Army National Guard’s annual training events over the next several summers. The new system will enhance communications and operations between Gowen Field and the training center.
“The current network has been out there for a while and is at a point in its lifecycle where it needs to be replaced,” said Ben Call, communications and IT services branch chief. “We are providing engineering and analysis for what should be replaced and how we can improve data consistency and reliability for that infrastructure to remain working at an optimal level.”
Using line-of-sight wireless communication and radio waves, the microwaves will provide high speed wireless connections for sending and receiving voice, video and data information from one point to another. Information is passed within a private network, as opposed to a commercial provider, making it more secure and less vulnerable to cyber-attack, said Call.
The Public Safety Communications and IT Services Division, formerly the Bureau of Communication and Microwave Services, is responsible for managing and maintaining the state microwave network and its 130 microwave sites located throughout Idaho.
Previously part of the Idaho Military Division’s emergency management office, the division now falls under and reports to the state’s adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Michael Garshak. It provides a data network for the day-to-day operations of employees working within state components of the Idaho Military Division on Gowen Field that are not part of the Department of Defense network.
The network also provides secondary communication capability between the state emergency operations center and the 44 counties and three tribal emergency centers in Idaho, should regular communication systems fail.
“With our support they have equipment that comes in via the microwave network instead of the public network that would not be affected by an outage,” said Call. “So it is our hope and intent that our system would stay up and be available in an emergency even if the regular system dies.”
Maintenance teams are located in six different regions within Idaho, along with an IT group on Gowen Field to manage all data traffic carried by the microwave network for agencies that they serve. Along with the Idaho Army National Guard, its customers include the Idaho State Police, Idaho Fish and Game and the Idaho State Courts System.
In addition to the microwave network, PSC is responsible for maintaining and operating the Land Mobile Radio networks that serve state agencies, such as Emergency Medical Services, Idaho State Police and the Idaho Transportation Department. Directed by state statute, they are the responsible party for all state of Idaho radio frequency licensing.
Idaho Youth Challenge Academy reshapes the lives of nearly 1,000 Idaho Teens
“We Believe in Second Chances”
BOISE AIR TERMINAL AIR GUARD STATION, ID, UNITED STATES
09.17.2018
Story by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur
PIERCE, Idaho – The National Guard Bureau’s Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy is a relatively new program to Idaho and is nearing Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s goal of 1,000 graduates by the end of its fifth year. The current class is the largest to date with 135 cadets currently enrolled, scheduled to graduate in December 2018.
What is the IDYCA? Administered by the Department of Defense, it is a cooperative state level program between the Idaho Military Division and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. It is among 40 other programs nationwide.
The primary focus is reclaiming the lives of 16 to 18-year-olds who are at risk or have dropped out of high school, by getting them back on a path necessary to succeed as adults. It prepares cadets for graduation, as a fully state-accredited alternative high school, and provides an opportunity to earn up to 14 high school credits towards their diploma.
Idaho opened the doors to the academy’s first class in January of 2014 in the small northern town of Pierce, Idaho under the command of Maj. Gen. Gary Sayler, former Adjutant General.
“Maj. Gen. Sayler laid the groundwork for the program, which I plan to build upon. One of my goals is to increase the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy Foundation in order to improve the academy’s infrastructure. New barracks, new roofing, and improvements to the laundry facility are among my priorities,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Garshak, commanding general of the Idaho National Guard.
Garshak, along with other state officials, as well as principals from local Treasure Valley high schools, had the opportunity to fly to Pierce in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to visit the facilities, staff, and cadets. They were able to tour several classrooms, see the living quarters, and eat lunch with the cadets. They concluded their visit by judging a drill and ceremony competition.
“Our military leaders bring state and local officials, school administrators, and teachers up to visit the academy and cadets to demonstrate the good return on investment that is happening up here,” said Collier Lipple, executive officer to the adjutant general of Idaho. “When they see firsthand the hundreds of lives this program positively effects each year, the program sells itself.”
Centennial High School principal, Mike Farris, has three Centennial students enrolled in the current class. He took the opportunity to visit with the three cadets and learn about their accomplishments and future goals for graduating the academy.
“I learned a lot about the Youth ChalleNGe Academy and what it is doing for the young men and women that are a part of it. Today was an awesome learning experience for me,” said Farris.
Margaret Flowers is the treasurer of the foundation for the IDYCA. She became involved with the academy because of the positive outcome it had on her personally. This is her second visit to the academy, the first was the graduation of her son.
“My son was in the very first class, Class 14-1. The program saved my son’s life. He turned 18 while enrolled in the academy and if he had not gone through the program, who knows where he would be now, probably homeless. After he graduated, we have a fantastic relationship. He has a full-time job and he can take care of himself. He is doing amazing and I am very thankful,” said Flowers.
The current class, Class 18-2 is in week nine of the 22-week program. The program starts with a disciplined Acclimation Phase, where they learn to adjust to the physical, mental, and social discipline the program offers. Not all of the potential cadets can handle this phase, but those who successfully complete the acclimation period continue on as IDYCA cadets and begin the ChalleNGe Phase, or the Residential Phase. This phase emphasizes self-discipline, self-esteem, education, and the development of healthy lifestyles.
“I have seen the results and this program saves lives. So many of these teenagers complete graduation and go on to become successful and valued contributors to their communities. Their motto is ‘we believe in second chances’ and so do I,” said Garshak. “I believe in each and every one of these cadets.”