National Guard Biathlon Championships

Transcription

1 The Ripley Reporter National Guard Biathlon Championships By: 1st Lt. Blake E. St. Sauver Public Affairs Officer Camp Ripley, Minn. February 24-28, 2013 brought over 90 biathletes to Camp Ripley for the National Guard Biathlon Championships. Skiing and shooting makes this sport far different from a standard skiing race, said Minnesota National Guard biathlete Jacob Dalberg. Vermont National Guard members Spc. Wynn Roberts and Pv2. Jordan McElroy stole the show in the individual qualifiers. Roberts who qualified for the 2010 Olympics in biathlon won both the 15 kilometer sprint and 20 kilometer pursuit with McElroy finishing a distant second. In This Issue Winter Warrior Sled Dog Race PAGE 3 40th NOREX at Camp Ripley PAGE 4-5 Consumer Confidence Report PAGE 6 Family Assistance Center Notes PAGE 7 Minnesota Military Museum PAGE 8 Army Compatible Use Buffer PAGE 9 I train full-time at Camp Ethan Allen in Jericho, Vermont with the National Guard Biathlon Program, said Roberts. We train year-round in the hopes of competing in high level events and hopefully the Olympics. The National Guard Biathlon Program trains 4 athletes at the state-ofthe-art facility in Vermont including Spc. Jacob Dalberg, Pv2. Jordan McElroy, Spc. Wynn Roberts along with his brother Pfc. Conrad Roberts. (Continued on page 2) Like us on 16th Bataan Memorial March PAGE 10

2 The Ripley Reporter Page 2 The National Guard Biathlon Championships also allows us to recruit passionate young Soldier-athletes, said National Guard Biathlon Program Coordinator Maj. Christopher Ruggerio. Once individual competition was complete each state put forth their best athletes to ski and shoot as teams. The North Dakota National Guard shot nearly perfectly as they won both the patrol race and team relay events. The Vermont National Guard posted third in the patrol-race and second in the relay and the Minnesota National Guard posted second in the patrol and third in the relay. The National Guard Biathlon Championships location is alternated each year between Camp Ethan Allen, Vermont and Camp Ripley, Minnesota. SPREAD THE NEWS Would you like to contribute to The Ripley Reporter? Units are encouraged to contact Sgt. Anthony Housey at Anthony.A.Housey@ us.army.mil to pass on ideas for future articles.

3 The Ripley Reporter Page 3 First Winter Warrior Sled Dog Race Held at Camp Ripley By: Sgt. Anthony Housey Camp Ripley Public Affairs Office CAMP RIPLEY, Minn The North Star Dog Club hosted multiple sled-dog races in the first ever Spirit of the North Winter Warrior sled dog race held Feb at Camp Ripley. Mushers and teams came from all over the state to take part in 10, 25 and 40 mile races around the Camp Ripley Training Center, said Camp Ripley spokesperson Maj. John Donovan. This two day event is new to the variety of activities conducted on Camp Ripley, said Col. Scott St. Sauver, post commander for Camp Ripley. It s exciting to watch the racers and teams test their skills in this challenging sport, added St. Sauver. Early risers were able to come out and enjoy the view from the grand stand while they sipped hot chocolate. The races started at 9:00 a.m. on both days and lasted well through the early afternoon. It s great having so many people out here to see what we do and learn about sled dogs, said Bob Bzdok, an event co-organizer. We are so pleased to be out here on Camp Ripley. It was great not having to worry about running into hazards on the trail. Most sled-dog races are held in state parks or along connecting trails accessible to snowmobilers and skiers. Occasionally, the sled-dog trails will cross roads which cause a safety hazard for the racers and their teams according to Bzdok. Although Camp Ripley is open to the public, the trails utilized by the racers were closed to foot and vehicle traffic. Of course, the dogs are the most popular aspect of the sport. Most folks have never seen this kind of thing before; we get a lot of questions asking about how friendly the dogs are, said Club Veterinarian Jerry Vanek. They are excited athletes, but they ll be just as happy to lick your face as anything else, he added. The event put on by the North Star Sled Dog Club was the first of its kind in Morrison County and drew an estimated crowd of 500 people. According to Bzdok, everyone involved stressed how impressed they were with the support from Camp Ripley and the racers are looking forward to coming back next year.

4 The Ripley Reporter Page 4 Minnesota, Norway Partnership Grows Strong at Camp Ripley By Tech. Sgt. Scott G. Herrington 148th Fighter Wing Public Affairs CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. - Norway s Chief of Defense, General Harald Sunde, arrived via Blackhawk helicopter Feb. 16, 2013 amidst a small snow flurry and with much fanfare from the Norwegian soldiers that are training at Camp Ripley for the next two weeks. Our two nations share great values. Together we stand up against terrorism, said Sunde. This is a very important mission and we have an obligation to get our soldiers together not only on the battlefield but back at home. The 40th Norwegian Exchange (NOREX) featured an evening feast prepared by the Norwegian contingent s own chef, and featured customary food and drinks for soldiers and community leaders to enjoy and learn about the culinary culture of Norway. Various preparations of salmon, reindeer, lamb and moose were paired with authentic cheeses, salads and fish soup. During the meal, a cultural presentation was shown, shedding light on both the military history of Norway, as well as a look into the beauty of the Norwegian countryside. This event brings young men and women soldiers together to create friendship and long lasting relations, said Sunde. Today I had the opportunity to talk to some of our soldiers about the experience of the exchange, said Sunde. Face to face, soldiers can discuss lessons learned, what they had done and talk about their piece of equipment--that is really what is bringing this friendship forward. (Continued on page 5) Service Members are encouraged to utilize the Battle Buddy System on and off Post!

5 The Ripley Reporter Page 5 After a night of bonding and fellowship, the Norwegians worshipped with Minnesota National Guard Soldiers at a bilingual church service. Praying and singing in both languages, the theme continued to be one of brotherhood between the nations. Sunde, the chief of defense for Norway, is the highest-ranking officer of the Norwegian military, second only to the king of Norway. In addition to acting as Norway s NATO military committee representation, he is the top advisor to the Norwegian government regarding military issues. Sunde returned to Norway on Monday, Feb. 18, 2013 to recognize and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Norwegian / Minnesotan Reciprocal Troop Exchange program - the oldest such program in Norway and the Department of Defense. If you wish to nominate someone for the Camp Ripley Memorialization send an to: kathy.radziej@us.army.mil or Send to the following address: Department of Military Affairs, ATTN: Chief of Staff Office, 20 12th Street West, St. Paul, MN CM: DSN: Fax:

6 The Ripley Reporter Page Consumer Confidence Report Camp Ripley Drinking Water Systems Is my water safe? During 2012, Camp Ripley s drinking water met all state and federal drinking water health standards. Camp Ripley vigilantly safeguards its water supplies, and we are proud to report that none of the contaminants regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act for these types of public water systems have been detected in the source water during required monitoring. Do I need to take special precautions? Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons; such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care providers, regarding drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline ( ). Where does my water come from? Camp Ripley s drinking water supply is extracted from an unconfined glacial aquifer that lies under the Camp Ripley cantonment area and extends to the northwest. This area is managed under the Camp Ripley Wellhead Protection Plan. The area around the Wellhead Protection Area is what is managed as the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA). In addition to the three primary drinking water production wells in the Camp Ripley cantonment area, there are 13 drinking water wells serving facilities not connected to the cantonment area s drinking water distribution system (within the training areas). These wells all draw their water from the same unconfined glacial aquifer as the three primary wells. All wells are tested annually by the Minnesota Department of Health.

7 The Ripley Reporter Page 7 Visit History at Minnesota Military Museum Winter Hours October - April Thursday and Friday 0900 to 1600 hours Free SAT, ACT prep kits available Children and relatives of National Guard members can get free SAT and ACT preparation kits again this year, compliments of professional athletes and the testing company eknowledge. CAMP RIPLEY PX - AAFES Hours of Operation March Tuesday - Thursday 1000 to 1700 hours Friday - Saturday 1000 to 2000 hours Sunday 0900 to 1400, Closed Monday Weekly Sales and Promotions The SAT and ACT PowerPrep Program, which retails for $200, is available free upon request (there is a nominal charge of $17.55 per program for materials and shipping). The DVD consists of 11 hours of video instruction, 3,000 files of supplemental test prep material, sample questions and practice tests. The sponsorship is entering its 8th year and has donated 200,000 programs valued at over $42 million at no profit to the company. To order online: For more information: Lori Caputo, , LoriCaputo@eKnowledge.com

8 The Ripley Reporter Page 8 Minnesota Military Museum Seeks Volunteers By: Camp Ripley Public Affairs Office The Minnesota Military Museum gives visitors an opportunity to look through a window into Minnesota military past. This unique museum located at historic Camp Ripley, Minn. is a volunteer staffed museum. Last year alone the volunteers logged over 2,500 hours, working in all areas of the museum. The busy season is just around the corner and the museum is looking for volunteers for this year. We have definitely improved the visitor experience and have been able to finish projects we never could have completed without our volunteers, stated executive director Jeff Thielen. As a small non-profit we struggle with having the funds to do many things, and volunteers allow us to accomplish a multitude of tasks. According to Thielen, volunteers take on a variety of tasks in the museum. For instance, volunteers play major roles in managing the library, leading tours for visitors, caring for and preserving artifacts, developing exhibits, working in the store and transcribing interviews with veterans. The Minnesota Military Museum is the only military museum in Minnesota representing all branches of service having exhibits from frontier days to the present. Preserving the history of our military men and women is an important and honorable task, said Maj. John Donovan spokesperson for Camp Ripley. Veterans, drilling Soldiers, family members and concerned citizens are all warmly invited to support the museum in preserving and telling Minnesota veterans stories. The museum needs volunteers to continue to entertain and inform visitors of our Minnesota military history. Anyone interested in volunteer opportunities at the museum can visit their website at MNMilitaryMuseum.org. or call

9 The Ripley Reporter Page 9 Open Forum to Discuss ACUB Program CAMP RIPLEY, Minn An Open Forum on the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) Program will be held in the theatre at the Training and Community Center (TACC) on Camp Ripley March 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The ACUB program is voluntary and is designed to compensate landowners for not encroaching on land within a 3 mile buffer around Camp Ripley, said Jay Brezinka environmental coordinator at Camp Ripley. According to Brezinka, leadership at Camp Ripley intends to accomplish the ACUB program by using a proactive approach with willing land-owners and partners such as Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Various land protection measures will be used to establish the compatible land use buffer to include acquisition and conservation easements. The purpose of the ACUB initiative is to create and enhance a natural buffer around Camp Ripley by taking advantage of available opportunities to prevent encroachment and enhance conservation and land management. By securing a buffer, Camp Ripley can continue to offer and provide critically important high quality military training and operations to ensure combat readiness, as well as mitigate disruptions to the surrounding communities. The ACUB program continues to expand with 93 land transactions completed representing 12,572 acres. Interested landowners and community members are invited to learn more about the status of the ACUB program at an Open Forum on Camp Ripley on March 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the TACC. Directions will be provided at the Camp Ripley Main Gate. Refreshments will be served to attendees. Contact: Jay Brezinka, Jay.a.brezinka.nfg@mail.mil Do You need a DA Photo? DA photos can be scheduled with Sgt. Anthony Housey Camp Ripley Public Affiars Anthony.a.housey@us.army.mil or da and command photos taken in bldg inquire with room 1170

10 The Ripley Reporter Page 10 On Dec. 7th, 1941 the war came to the Philippines in the same manner as in Hawaii a surprise air attack. In the case of the Philippines, however, this initial strike was followed by a full-scale invasion of the main island of Luzon three days later. By early January, the American and Filipino defenders were forced to retreat to a slim defensive position on the island s western Bataan Peninsula The American and Filipino forces fought from an untenable position until formally surrendering to the Japanese on April 9. The Japanese immediately began to march some 76,000 prisoners (12,000 Americans, the remainder Filipinos) northward into captivity along a route of death. When three American officers escaped a year later, the world learned of the unspeakable atrocities suffered along the 60-mile journey that became known as the Bataan Death March. POC for the event is CPT Rob Grutsch, robert.grutsch@us.army.mil, POC for event registration is SSG Kaisone Ithivongkham, kaisone.ithivongkham@us.army.mil, The Ripley Reporter is a publication of the Camp Ripley Public Affairs Office. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily express or reflect the views and opinions of The Department of Defense, the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota National Guard, The Adjutant General or the Camp Ripley Post Commander.