The Ripley Reporter Notes From the Command Sergeant-Major by: Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Worden Many of our neighboring communities and our customers likely believe that Camp Ripley goes into hibernation during the winter months. Fewer convoys of trucks from outstate units traveling up the highway and significantly less noise on a daily (or nightly) basis could lead one to that conclusion. But just ask the Training Support Unit what s going on at Camp Ripley and you will likely get a different answer. January begins the New Year preparing for a multitude of winter events that begin with the National Guard Central Region Biathlon competition conducted from 23 January to 27 January. Athletes from eight states will compete on Camp Ripley s International Biathlon Union Course. This event is open to the public. As we move into February, Camp Ripley prepares to host multiple events. The primary event for the month is the 40th Annual Norwegian Exchange to be held from 13 February to 24 February. During this time Camp Ripley plays host to 120 members of the Norwegian Army. This visit consists of military training as well as social events to foster cultural understanding and appreciation. The inaugural running of the Camp Ripley Winter Warrior Sled Dog Race will be conducted at Camp Ripley on 16 and 17 February. Racing is both Saturday and Sunday for all classes and this event is also open to the public. Notes From the CSM Page 1 CRTC-Civilian Relationships Page 2 Combatives in Minnesota Page3 Actions with the Community Page 4 Holiday Toy Giveaway Page 5 Defending the Blue Line Page 6-7 Regional Biathalon Page 8 Camp Ripley On Facebook Page 9 Finishing off a busy February is the National Guard Biathlon Championships will be held on Camp Ripley from 22 February until 01 March. This event will play host to world-class athletes from across the US and is also open to the public. So if you are looking for something to get you out of the house this winter, come on out to Camp Ripley to watch one of these great events. Winter is a great time for our communities and our customers to enjoy the quiet of Camp Ripley. CSM Mike Worden, Post Command Sergeant Major Like us on http://www.facebook.com/campripley
The Ripley Reporter Page 2 Civilian Advisors Important to Camp Ripley by:1st Lt. Blake E. St Sauver Camp Ripley Public Affairs Officer CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. The Camp Ripley Citizen s Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss Camp Ripley and its effects on the community. On December 13, 2012 Camp Ripley held a Citizens Advisory Committee meeting followed by a free holiday meal catered by Coborn s and Perkins in Little Falls for over 450 of the installation s employees. Brig. Gen. Neal Loidolt, Director of the Joint Staff for the Minnesota National Guard thanked Camp Ripley employees for their work and effort in 2012 and also said, It s important to recognize the great work our employees continue to accomplish in a fiscally constrained environment. The event is held annually in conjunction with the Citizen s Committee meeting to allow for employees to meet and greet local businessman and legislators from the Crow Wing and Morrison County area. Local community members donate this meal to thank our employees for all the hard work they do for not only Camp Ripley, but also our local communities, said Camp Ripley Post Commander, Col. Scott St. Sauver. What can we do better? Col. St. Sauver asked during the in-depth discussion with the committee. The committee then commenced with an hour brainstorming session to talk about ideas and to makes suggestions on how to improve processes and procedures at Camp Ripley.
The Ripley Reporter Page 3 MN ARNG Combatives Show Their Stuff by: Cpt. Joachim Eitenmiller On February 2nd at 10:00 a.m. the Minnesota Army National Guard will hold its Combatives Team tryout tournament at the Camp Ripley TACC gymnasium (Building 11-1). This is the third annual Combatives tryout tournament which features some of the top competitors not just in Minnesota but also some of the top competitors in the entire Army. In the past two years, the team that has evolved out of this tournament went on to win the All National Guard tournament and placed 6th & 7th as a team at the All Army Tournament. This competition is the premier tournament for Army National Guard members in Minnesota and winners earn the privilege of representing Minnesota at the Army s top combatives tournaments: The All National Guard Tournament in March 2013 and the All Army Tournament in July 2013. The Combatives Team tryout tournament at Camp Ripley is open to the public (free admission!) and showcases Army National Guard members competing in a standard rules tournament. Standard Army combatives rules are very similar to the jiu-jitsu or wrestling competitions that you may be more familiar with and most of the best competitors have a rich heritage in training at jiujitsu gyms or representing our high schools and colleges through amateur wrestling. However, this event is about more than just sport and entertainment; the competitors on display February 2nd will fill the ranks of our State Combatives Team and are the embodiment of the warrior ethos which is the core of American Soldiers. For more information on Minnesota Army National Guard Combatives contact Cpt. Joachim Eitenmiller at joachim.eitenmiller@ng.army.mil or 651-268-8344.
The Ripley Reporter Page 4 Camp Ripley Giving Back to the Community In 2012 Combined Federal Campaign: $6,453 Food Drive: 545lbs to a local food shelf. Gift Tag Program: Over $5,000 in donations. Blood Drive: 267 units of blood donated Day of Caring: 65 volunteers contributed SPREAD THE NEWS Would you like to contribute to The Ripley Reporter? Units are encouraged to contact 1st Lt. Blake St. Sauver at blake.stsauver@ us.army.mil to pass on ideas for future articles.
The Ripley Reporter Page 5 Camp Ripley s Toy Giveaway by:1st Lt. Blake E. St Sauver Camp Ripley Public Affairs Officer CAMP RIPLEY Camp Ripley s Family Assistance Center held a toy giveaway open to all current and former service members and their families at the Camp Ripley Post Headquarters TACC Drill Floor in building 11-1. Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree Stores implemented a holiday toy giveaway. Dollar Tree stores accepted donations of small toys from throughout the state of Minnesota. Service members and their families attended the holiday toy giveaway to pick out small toys for their children. Family Assistance Center staff were on hand to assist with the process and answer any questions that service members may have had. To learn more about this or other similar programs contact the Camp Ripley Family Assistance Center specialist Tami Klucas at 320-616-3117. 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 320-616-2784 Service Members are encouraged to utilize the Battle Buddy System on and off Post!
The Ripley Reporter Page 6 Retired Army NCO Brings Ice Hockey to Military Kids By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service DOD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. STUTTGART, Germany, Dec. 19, 2012 Shane Hudella, a retired Minnesota Army National Guard first sergeant and Operation Desert Storm veteran, runs the charitable foundation Defending the Blue Line, which introduces the sport of ice hockey to the children of military members. Shane Hudella, (center), founder of the nonprofit organization Defending the Blue Line, which donates hockey equipment to military families, chats with Matt Hendricks, left, a National Hockey League player with the Washington Capitals and a local hockey fan before a USO holiday tour show at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, Dec. 17, 2012. Hudella, a native of Hastings, Minn., accompanied Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the chairman s senior enlisted advisor, on the annual USO holiday tour that recently concluded there. After retiring from the National Guard after 23 years of service, Hudella decided to give back to the children of those in uniform. He thought of ice hockey and the National Hockey League. I ve been working with Shane now for about three years and the opportunity [to help military children] arose through him, Hendricks said. The USO contacted him and Shane contacted me, and wanted to know what my interests were. I was honored to get the invite. Hudella said his family inspired him to create his charity. Hudella credits the military for the success of his charity.
The Ripley Reporter Page 7 (Continued from Pg. 6) Looking at my own family, I ve got four boys -- we re a hockey family -- we all love hockey, he said. So I met the NHL players and started this organization, thinking we ll able to help some National Guard and reserve soldiers in the Midwest. Since then, Hudella s foundation has received coverage from major news outlets and was last year s winner of the White House s Joining Forces award. Joining Forces is a comprehensive national initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to provide service members and their families with the opportunities and support they have earned. We got to travel up to D.C. and meet First Lady [Michelle] Obama, Dr. [Jill] Biden, and get recognized by the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff], Hudella said. And it kind of led to being here today. Hudella credits the military for the success of his charity. This last year, we just had this explosive growth to now we re shipping gear to 40 different states in the continental U.S., he said. We ve sent equipment here to Germany to active-duty families who have kids who skate out in the local community. We ve sent gear to Fort Greeley, Alaska, to really all over the world. Between hockey camps and giving out equipment and grants, Defending the Blue Line just crossed the million-dollar giving mark, which is a big deal for us, Hudella said. We ve helped, all said now, close to 500 kids, he said. We ve sent thousands of families down to enjoy a hockey game, before or after deployment. We ve helped between four and five thousand service members and their families. Now, through the power of the USO, Hudella, continues to grow his foundation. It s [been] an absolute honor traveling with the chairman and the staff of the USO, Hudella said. It s just been a life-changing experience to come out and do this mission with them. Hudella said he and his foundation remain committed to helping military families and he looks forward to expanding. Just keep an eye on Defending the Blue Line, he said. It s not going to be long and we re going to be branching out into Defending the Goal Line for football, and Defending the Baseline for baseball, and our big-picture goal in the next couple of years is to be the one-stop shop to keep military kids in sports.
The Ripley Reporter Page 8 ATTENTION - Cross-country skiing and marksman enthusiasts! The Central Regional Biathlon cordially invites you to view this exciting competition on Camp Ripley January 26, 2013. Camp Ripley is proud to host this regional event. Come and enjoy the spirit of competition. and sportsmanship. Who: General Public and Cross- Country Ski Enthusiasts What: Regional Biathlon Competition Where: Camp Ripley Biathlon Course When: Jan 26, 2013
The Ripley Reporter Page 9 FRIENDS & FAMILY OF CAMP RIPLEY, we are grateful for your service here behind the granite gates of one of the best training areas in the region. To celebrate our 164 years of proud service we invite you to share your stories and images of Camp Ripley. To build our timeline we are posting pictures and stories of the events that took place here on post. If you have an intrest in sharing events from you or your family, please attach the image and a short story in a message to the Camp Ripley Facebook Page or email items to anthony.a.housey@us.army. mil You can also mail photos or other media to Camp Ripley Visitors Bureau, ATTN: Sgt. Housey, 15000 Hwy 115, Little Falls MN 56345. Please include a description of the event and a return address so we can send your family items back to you. Keep checking for updates as we post our memories.