The Hornet - July 2017

Operation Vigilant Catamount

A JOINT MULTI-COUNTY DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 6-14 JUNE, 2017

North Carolina National Guard Quarterly Issue

July 2017 www.nc.ngb.army.mil

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Director of Public Affairs Lt. Col. Matthew DeVivo matthew.r.devivo.mil@mail.mil

Inside this Issue:

Media Relations Capt. Matthew Boyle matthew.i.boyle.mil@mail.mil

Community Relations Maj. Michael Wilber michael.j.wilber2.mil@mail.mil

Visual Information Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens brendan.p.stephens.mil@mail.mil

145th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Tech. Sgt. Nathan Clark nathan.t.clark.mil@mail.mil

Writers/Photographers Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan robert.b.jordan2.mil@mail.mil Staff Sgt. Mary Junell mary.e.junell.mil@mail.mil Sgt. Jamar Pugh Jamar.m.Pugh.mil@mail.mil

Graphic Illustrator Sgt. Lisa Vines lisa.w.vines.mil@mail.mil

Social Media Sgt. Odaliska Almonte ncngpao@gmail.com The Hornet magazine is an authorized publication for members of the North Carolina National Guard. Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the NCNG, United States Government or the Department of Defense. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office of the NCNG. General comments and suggestions should be addressed to Mary.E.Junell.mil@mail.mil or call 984-664-6590.

Layout and design 1 by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

On The Cover:

1st Lt. Christopher Bishop, 1st Platoon Leader of the 514th Military Police Company, calls out commands from the top of his Humvee to military police during a civil unrest scenario at Western Carolina University during Operation Vigilant Catamount (OVC) on June 13, 2017. OVC is a joint civilian and NCNG regional domestic operations and homeland security exercise.

(Photo by Staff Sgt. David McLean)

NCNG Engineers Hard at Work, Pg. 13

Soldiers assigned to the 725th Engineer Support Platoon, spent their annual training transforming six acres into a gravel lot for the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center.

Operation Vigilant Catamount, Pg. 17

Operation Vigilant Catamount, a joint multi-agency disaster response exercise led by the N.C. National Guard and involving local emergency responders, as well as county administration.

The Minuteman Muster, Pg. 23

The Always Ready, Ready Team of the North Carolina National Guard celebrated Army Forces Day by hosting the 5th Annual Minuteman Muster in Raleigh, N.C.

Sling Load Operations, Pg. 27

Soldiers with the 113th Sustainment Brigade completed helicopter sling load familiarization with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division while on annual training at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Also in This Issue: News From The Nest, Pg. 3 Military Funeral Honors, Pg. 5

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Air Guard on Deployment, Pg. 7 The 30th Brigade in Idaho, Pg. 9 The EEC Graduates Foreman, Pg. 11 Deployed Air Guardsman, Pg. 25 ID Card Office Serves All, Pg. 29

Where is SFC Jordan?

Can you find the tine version of Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan hidden among these pages? Our well loved photojournalist is hiding somewhere in the Hornet!

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News From Around the Nest

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, visited the NCNG’s Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh on May 24, where he presented a proclamation declaring May as Military Appreciation Month. in Raleigh on April 15.

Vietnam Veterans were recognized at the NCNG Family NCNG’s Joint Force Programs held the Headquarters 5th Annual Easter with a ‘Vietnam Eggstravaganga Veteran Lapel in Raleigh on Pin’ on April April 15.

20th.

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51 Cadets from the New London Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy graduated in April.

The North Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters celebrated the U.S. Army’s 242nd Birthday with a ceremonial Cake cutting, June 14.

The daughter of a NC Air National Guard Airmen is reunited with her father after a three month deployment in Southwest Asia, May 10.

Command Sgt. Maj Joseph Vickers retired in May after 38 years of Service.

Sgt. Maj. Stephen Minnick retired in May after 34 years of service.

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Raleigh, N.C. Staff Sgt. Tarvick Linder, a bugle player with the North Carolina National Guard’s Military Funeral Honors Team, plays Taps at the Raleigh National Cemetery during a military funeral practice on May 11, 2017.

The team conducts on average 3300 services across the state a year, at no cost to the families of service members or funeral directors.

The more than 60 Guardsmen who perform the services are volunteers who chose to support the team as a part time assignment.

(Photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell)

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Southwest Asia A North Carolina Air National Guard C-130 Aircraft is directed along the flight line while deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in May, 2017 in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. This mission is just one way that NCNG Airmen are fulfilling the mission of providing airlift, combat, and humanitarian support to Federal and State authorities at home and abroad.

(Photo by Tech. Sgt. Alejandro Armendariz)

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Boise, Idaho The North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team traveled to the Orchard Combat Training Center, (OCTC), south of Boise, Idaho in May for annual training.

The OCTC is operated by the Idaho National Guard, has the largest Multipurpose Range Complex-Heavy in the Army and provides a location for units like the 30th ABCT to train to conduct tank and scout gunnery ranges, and live-fire exercises.

(Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens)

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NCNG Education and Employment Center Graduates New Foremen Story by Capt. Ellis Parks

N.C. Guardsmen, (second left to center) Pvt. Anthony Connors, Pfc. Kyle Turner, Staff Sgt. Jamie Huffstetler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Hill stand with InfraSource Training Coordinator Kermit Brown (far left), InfraSource Military Recruiting Director Josh Bieler (second from right), NCNG EEC Career Skills Program Manager Staff Sgt. Robert Benson (far right) on March 19, 2017. (Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Education and Employment Center)

Four North Carolina Army National Guardsmen graduated from the Gas Distribution Foreman Veteran Training program, an initiative of the North Carolina National Guard Education and Employment Center (NCNG EEC), Friday, March 19, 2017, at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

“Students are not paid while in the 10week program, but prior to starting, they sign a contract promising employment upon graduation,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Benson, a NCNG EEC advisor.

InfraSource, an Aquanta Service Company, along with the Did You Know? NCNG EEC developed The NCNG EEC has this veterans training helped almost 2000 people program to bring service get jobs since they opened members into the gas their doors in 2013. distribution industry.

The program graduated 10 new foreman with four of them being current North Carolina Guardsmen

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ranging in rank from a Pfc. to a Chief Warrant Officer 2.

Service members who graduate from the Foreman Veteran Training program are certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and receive certifications in CPR/First Aid and pipe fusion operations with job opportunities in Virginia, Washington D.C. or Charlotte.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Hill had been unemployed since October of 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew.

“I really appreciated taking this class and having a job afterwards is the best part,” said Hill. “I also love that I now have my CDLs because of this class.”

Graduates from the Gas Distribution Foreman Veteran Training program receive a benefits package that includes medical, dental, tools, paid time off and a starting salary of $20 per hour.

All 10 graduates are now working in the gas distribution field.

Know Before You Ride!

All NCNG Soldiers are Required to Take the Basic Rider Course (BRC) Prior to Operating a Motorcycle.

Click Here or talk to your Readiness NCO to find upcoming dates for classes and register For more information call (984) 664-6420 or (984) 664-6153 12

Guard Helps with Western NC Agricultural Center Parking Expansion Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

Thanks to a partnership with the North Carolina National Guard and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA & CS) additional parking spaces will be available at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center (WNC Ag Center) in Fletcher, North Carolina.

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Army Staff Sgt. Valarie Mitchell, a heavy equipment operator assigned to the 725th Engineer Support Platoon, 105th Engineer Battalion, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, ground guides a Soldier driving a wheeled-tractor scrapper during a parking lot expansion project at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center.

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Staff Sgt. Valarie Mitchell, directs Spc. Joshua Gambrell, where to drive a wheeled-tractor scrapper during a parking lot expansion project at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center.

Soldiers assigned to the 725th Engineer Support Platoon (ESP), 105th Engineer Battalion, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), spent their annual training transforming six acres adjacent to the current parking area, on the southwest side of the agricultural center’s property, into a gravel lot June 2-15, 2017.

“It’s going to give them 456 more spaces to support the Mountain State Fair,” said Army 1st Lt. Erin Graham, the commander of the 725th ESP. Steve Troxler, the North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner, said, He is looking forward to the impact this parking lot will have on the Mountain State Fair, which is held at the 15

WNC Ag Center.

“This will allow us to expand the number of people who come to the Mountain State Fair,” Troxler said. “We’ve been wanting to get 200,000 people to visit the fair but we haven’t had enough parking. This is going to be really helpful. This is a great example of how partnerships ought to be in government. We’re able to get this project done much cheaper.”

The Guard’s assistance, along with site preparation work completed by the North Carolina Forest Service’s Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program, saved the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services an estimated

$250,000.

In addition to the savings, the Soldiers involved gained invaluable training on a real-world project.

“We’re building them a parking lot, and in return we’re getting man-hours on all of our equipment,” Graham said.

“Rather than going to Fort Bragg and doing mock scenarios, we’re actually impacting the community.”

The project won’t be completed by the 725th. Another North Carolina Guard engineer unit, assigned to the 505th Engineer Battalion, 130th MEB, will be finishing it.

The parking lot is slated for completion June 30, 2017.

Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the North Carolina National Guard Adjutant General, and Steve Troxler, the North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner, talk during their site visit of the parking lot expansion at the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center.

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Operation Vigilant Catamount Story By Cory Vaillancourt of The Smokey Mountain News

By the dawn’s early light, about 300 members of the North Carolina National Guard along with a host of local law enforcement personnel and first responders gathered at Guion Farm in nearby DuPont 17

State Forest, outside Hendersonville the morning of June 8.

Two aircrew had ejected from their F-15 just before it augured in to the rocky dirt, sparking a

large fire and kicking off a massive search and rescue mission.

Thankfully, that scenario was only an exercise, but as Operation Vigilant Catamount

continued across several sites in Western North Carolina — including in Canton June 10 — regional disaster response teams found themselves dealing with disasters that seemed anything but fabricated.

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Members of the 105th Military Police Battalion are tested by protesters during a civil unrest scenario at Western Carolina University on June 13, 2017.

Mountain manhunt

Operation Vigilant Catamount is a joint multiagency disaster response exercise led by the N.C. National Guard and involving local emergency responders, as well as county administration.

The DuPont exercise was but one phase of the operation, which also included simulated incidents at Fontana Dam, the Mt. Pisgah Observatory and the campus of WCU. “The North Carolina National Guard 19

contributes back to the community every day,” said Raleigh native and 36-year Army veteran Brigadier General John Byrd. “We live in these communities, so when we can do an exercise like this inside of North Carolina and bring in our interagency partners like local law enforcement and emergency management, it makes everybody stronger and builds those relationships.”

What those inter-agency partners in DuPont State Forest — including the Henderson, Jackson and

Transylvania county Sheriff’s Departments — didn’t know was that the scenario would take a dramatic twist.

As the jet crash situation developed, it was revealed that one crew member was deceased and the other was injured and needed to be hoisted by helicopter from a remote clearing in the forest.

Even worse, information soon arrived suggesting that the aircraft was downed by a shoulderfired missile from a domestic terrorist; local law enforcement found two of the four insurgents after

an hours-long manhunt in the rainy, rugged mountain wilderness.

“Any time you have an operation this complex, there’s a lot of moving parts,” Byrd said. “But based on everything that I’ve seen so far, the plans are going forward, everybody’s excited, motivated, ready to go.”

Canton’s catastrophe

The exercise held in Canton the morning of June 10 was far less dramatic, but no less important.

A simulated vehicle

Members of the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team and the NC National Guard hoist evacuation gear into a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during in DuPont Forest, NC, Jun 8, 2017.

NCNG firefighter Staff Sgt. Jim Graf with the 677th Firefighting Team inspects his teams and the wreckage during exercises on June 8, 2017.

accident in a small parking lot just off Champion Drive caused the release of chlorine gas; as responders from Evergreen Packaging and the Town of Canton arrived at the scene, they realized they’d need to call for backup.

As those calls escalated up the chain of command, agencies from the county, the state and the federal government began arriving on the scene, culminating in the arrival of the 42nd Civil Support Team, an active-duty N.C. Guard unit that responds to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and

explosive incidents.

Chlorine is a deadly chemical that ravages the respiratory system; it was used widely in warfare throughout the early 20th century until banned for its utterly inhumane effects, but has been used recently in Syria’s civil war.

It’s considered a weapon of mass destruction, and its widespread release in Canton could kill or injure hundreds.

Several “victims” were discovered at the scene of the accident, complaining of symptoms like blurred vision, nausea and difficulty breathing.

About 15 or so members of Evergreen’s 35-person emergency response team — which responds to fires, medical emergencies and hazmat incidents at the mill — showed up, some in bulbous green suits meant to protect them from exposure.

Before they could enter the hot zone, however, a decontamination station was set up nearby on Champion Drive, which had been closed to traffic.

Sprouting up around the decontamination station was a dizzying array of firefighters, cops, medics and members of the

Guard, all there to support the hazmat operations; they, in turn, were directed literally from above — a command post situated just over the hill where members of the Haywood Incident Management Team operated out of trailers beside the 42nd and the Canton Police Department.

“This gives us the opportunity to have our people exposed to a potentially hazardous material situation that could be life-threatening,” said Canton Police Chief Brian Whitner. “Being that I have a younger staff, it’s 20

great to be to see all the components come together and we’re glad to be able to do it.”

Whitner represents the older generation of law enforcement personnel in the county; he experienced Haywood’s only recent real disaster — the floods of 2004, during which he worked constantly, slept in his car, dried his clothes on the dashboard and didn’t go home for two weeks.

Whitner’s officers represent the current generation of local law enforcement, and can now say that they’ve come as close to a real disaster as

they hopefully ever will.

But training for these incidents doesn’t stop with that generation; the next generation of local law enforcement played a critical role in Operation Vigilant Catamount, from start to finish.

Courtney Wright and Chrislynn Daugherty are both criminal justice majors at Western Carolina University who will graduate in 2018; Daugherty, from Taylorsville, hopes to work homicide and Wright, from Lincolnton, wants to join her local emergency response department.

As interns in WCU’s emergency disaster management program, they not only helped check participants into the Hendersonville exercise, they helped plan it.

“We’ve been working on this since January,” Wright said. “We’ve written the scenarios and helped organize who’s going to be here.”

Wright, Daugherty and the rest of WCU’s interns involved in the exercise don’t constitute the extent of WCU’s participation, though — actual human cadaver parts from WCU’s forensics department were

used during the search phase of the operation in Henderson County to provide a realistic training experience for cadaver dogs.

In the event of an emergency like the Henderson County or Canton exercises, officials from county and city administration would play a critical role; Canton special events coordinator Lisa Stinnett delivered a statement during the press briefing explaining the incident and then introduced Whitner, who fielded questions from the media that would have

Members of local law enforcement teams exit a military Blackhawk during exercises in Dupont State Forest on June 8, 2017.

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probably been asked were the event real: Should citizens be concerned?

Should they evacuate?

How will they know?

When will they know?

Is there any indication terrorism was involved?

The exercise also served as a recruiting opportunity for the N.C. Guard, which integrates with and supports local responders in situations like last year’s Charlotte riots and Hurricane Matthew.

“As recruiter, I find that a lot of times people just need a little bit more of a sense of direction, honestly,” said Staff

Sgt. Nicole Kimble, a California native who joined the Army 13 years ago because she wanted to become a county sheriff.

“I was trying to get on the department, but I couldn’t because all the veterans were taking all the spots,” she laughed. “Onthe-job training, college benefits, or direction — those are the three big reasons why people join.

They stay for different reasons, but that’s why they join.”

While they may not stay just for the excitement of waking up before the sun to spend countless

hours responding to a riot, hurricane, jet crash or chemical spill, members of the Guard can take solace in knowing that they’re not only bettering themselves in their abilities, but also enhancing the capabilities of the agencies that would be right there next to them in the proverbial trenches during an emergency.

“What it’s really about is having all levels of responders able to come together. You have your local, your county, your state, your federal — that level of exercise is a lot of organization for a lot of people,” said Dona

Stewart, a Haywood County administrator who helped organize the county’s presence during the exercise and also served as the county’s point of contact.

An after-action report will soon be analyzed by participants in the exercise.

“You really can’t put a price on this,” Stewart said. “It was an excellent opportunity for us to train together so that we’re prepared.”

First responders and NC Guardsmen respond during an exercise where a truck crashed into a Chlorine Hazardous Materials delivery truck on June, 10.

A fire burns waiting for North Carolina National Guard and Air Guard firefighters to extinguish the flames during a simulated crash exercise in Dupont State Forest on June 8, 2017.

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The

Minuteman Muster

The Always Ready, Ready Team of the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) celebrated Army Forces Day by hosting the 5th Annual Minuteman Muster here May 20, 2017.

Approximately 370 competitors, which included service members and civilians, competed in one of the two premier competitive races, a 5K or 8K run/walk, and select competitors competed in two-team-competitive events, the High School Team Challenge or the Chief ’s Challenge, during the abnormally hot day on the western edge of the City of Oaks.

“This is an important event for the NCNG. It allows us to make a connection with the community”, said Army Brig. Gen. Allen Boyette, the NCNG’s Assistant Adjutant General for Sustainment. “This years event supports and fund-raises for the NCNG Museum and Learning Center of Excellence to capture our history for future generations.”

The event provided an opportunity for the competitors to learn about the

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Craig Norton

contributions the Tar Heel service members have made throughout time by visiting the “History Machine”, a mobile history-telling trailer.

“This event provides an education, advertising opportunity to explain the overall purpose and existence of the NCNG and its history from 1636 to the present,” said Army Lt. Col. John VanHook, the NCNG’s Command Historian.

The winners of the 5K race were Josiah Ruhl with a time of 20:31 minutes and Tina Morrison with a time of 21:06 minutes. The winners of the 8K race were Michael Crumpton with a time of 28:45 minutes and Susan Krizek with a time of 37:42 minutes. The High School Team winner was the Wildcats, team members were Minh Pham, Andrew Overton, Reshad Scott and Jose Hernandez-Ventura, with a total time of 1:43:49 hours. The Chief ’s Challenge was the 42nd Sentinels, team members were David Ginn, Aaron Skinner, Frazier Sanders and Zack Liles, with a total time of 2:25:56 hours.

Photos from Left to Right: Runners line up at the start of the 5k and 8k race A young girl rides along in a ruck sack during the Minuteman Muster Army Brig. Gen. Allen Boyette, the North Carolina National Guard’s Assistant Adjutant General for Sustainment, stands with the overall youth-team winners at the NCNG’s 5th Annual Minuteman Muster 5K and 8K races in Raleigh, North Carolina, May 20, 2017.

Christian Bascom competes during the North Carolina National Guard’s 5th Annual Minuteman Muster 5K and 8K races in Raleigh, North Carolina, May 20, 2017.

Photos by Staff Sgt. Ron Lee

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T

he varied missions of the United States military are not unfamiliar to obstacles.

Vehicles and aircraft break, contingencies change, and we are constantly adapting to challenges like these. Demonstrably, one father here, Maj. Bret Peters, the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron assistant director of operations and a C-130 Hercules navigator, was not going to let any challenge prevent him from his mission Friday. He was going to commission his daughter by any means possible.

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Now a newly minted second lieutenant, Brittany Peters was set to graduate the ROTC program at the University of North Carolina, and commission into the North Carolina Army National Guard. While deployed to Southwest Asia, Peters made sure he had the technology to swear-in his daughter, via video teleconference, live streaming at the class graduation and swearing in ceremony.

“I just hope this connection doesn’t drop,” said Peters, while tenuously staring at the cellphone that connected him to

his daughter, from nearly seven thousand miles away. “If it does, I hope they have a cadet monitoring it for when I try and call back.”

Murphy’s Law states that if something can go wrong, it will. During the beginning of the ceremony, right after the national anthem, and when the class commander started his address to the cadets, the connection was lost. Peters immediately sprang into action.

Feverishly, he refreshed his internet connection, and redialed his daughter’s video chat account over and over. He was

NC Air Guardsman Commissions Daughter While Deployed Story and photos by 1st Sgt. Eric Sharman

Maj. Bret Peters administers the oath of office to his daughter by video conference while deployed.

repeatedly texting his wife and any other family at the ceremony, to explain what happened and that someone needed to answer the call.

Finally…“Sir, can you hear me?”

His daughter’s voice called to him from the laptop. Cadet Brittany Peters was front and center on the monitor, ready to take her oath of office. Peters greeted the class, and all attending, then centered himself in front of the American flag behind him and instructed his daughter, “Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.”

After taking her oath, her commanding officer asked the new lieutenant if she wished to say anything to her father.

She spoke her first sentence as a commissioned officer.

“Thank you daddy…I love you,” said 2nd Lt. Peters.

Peters returned the sentiment to his daughter, said goodbye, and disconnected the call. A swell of pride came over him, then a sigh of relief.

“Wow, that was a close call,” said Maj. Peters. “I’m just glad I could be there for her, even though I couldn’t be there.”

This relief was that of a father supporting his daughter as she began a military career, and an officer commissioning a cadet that he knew better than any other person he had served with.

Peters accomplished the roles he had in his mission on that day; as a father, and as an officer.

When not deployed, Peters is a mission navigator with the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Squadron, 145th Airlift Wing, out of Charlotte, N.C.

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Sling

Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan

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Load

113th Sustainment Brigade

Steel Brigade

tion ariza e i l i fam igad load The br June 10 th g n i l 7 3 g s 1 1 , 20 pter ainin rs, 1 elico June 13 nual Tr f Soldie crew h e t An so ter ple ina, com h Carol fort for t. Team helicop . e d a n e e t e th or rig sion Th m nt B ragg, N diers to deploy ngines. ply mis e m ol ral tB ain re sup Sust n at For n 400 S or fede sepowe itical re h t a r 3 e r o t ac sta visi 0 ho re th ’s 11 NG orne Di yed mo future 's 3,78 ulating C k N d m o the r an haw Airb es si depl with 's 82nd igade" eeded fo 0 Black ide crat s r e 6 r i y w n Sold he Arm "Steel B l skills of UH ix-foot a t s h e c , s i h h t a h t t s wi ed logi rotor w foot hig nam the nick cticing into the e threera th n 22 p nd, lea t above 2 e 8 e and a few f rs hove

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NCNG Provides DEERS and ID Card Services for Current and Retired Service Members Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell

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or many National Guard, Reserve and Retired Service Members, tasks like updating family members in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) or getting a new ID card, involves a trip to an active duty base.

However, in Raleigh, North Carolina, current and retired Service Members only need to go as far as the North Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters building, down the street from the NC State Fairgrounds.

Located on the first floor, just after walking through the entrance, is a fully operating DEERS office providing services to qualified members by appointment on Monday through Friday, between 8

a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Some of those services include new ID cards and updating or adding dependents for the purpose of healthcare benefits and commissary privileges.

The NCNG’s DEERS office currently provides services for an average of 450 current and retired Service Members a month, making sure everyone, regardless of branch of service, has the benefits they deserve.

“We are a united front, regardless of service,” said Staff Sgt. Ashley Littlefield, the ID cards non commissioned officer in charge at the Raleigh based office. “We are all fighting the same fight.

We need to make sure everyone is up to date with their entitlements and have

Sgt. Jennifer Reddick, the ID Cards Site Security Manager, calls to confirm customer appointments on June 26, 2017, prepares the camera for an ID card photo and loads a blank card into a printer on June 29, 2017, at the DEERS office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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the appropriate, unexpired, ID cards.”

All of these services are accomplished by a team of three Soldiers, making appointments very important. Thanks to the work of Sgt. Jennifer Reddick, one of the Soldiers who works in the DEERS office, people wishing to make appointments can now go online to https://rapidsappointments.dmdc.osd. mil/ It is advised that those wishing to use the services provided by the ID card and DEERS office should make sure they have all the documentation they need before arriving for their appointment.

For more information call the DEERS office at (984) 664-6250.

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